


Nether

by sp00kworm



Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Backstory, Blood and Gore, Body Horror, Culture, Era 3 and 4 Ghouls - Freeform, F/M, Fivesome - F/F/M/M/M, Ghouls, Gore, Hell, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Nameless Ghouls - Freeform, Oral Sex, Orgy, Rituals, Summoning, Tribe Culture, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, Violence, a life story, ghoul culture, non-canon, satanic rituals
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-22
Updated: 2019-04-13
Packaged: 2019-07-15 18:34:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 33,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16068896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sp00kworm/pseuds/sp00kworm
Summary: The Aether Ghoul is vibrant and full of life on stage. This is how he came to be. Rhythm guitarist, protector, scryer and friend. The Ghoul's past isn't pretty, but nor is it riddled with tragedy, it is simply how he was molded.





	1. Initiation

**Author's Note:**

> Durrikan - meaning fortune teller is Aether (popestar and current)  
> Tannim - meaning child of dragons is Fire (popestar)

Hail was rare in hell. The stones of ice were black and hard. The clouds were dark and unforgiving as they battered the rocks of the mountains with the small balls of ice. The small tribe had taken refuge in the caves of the rocky mountain, content to wait out the hammering storm huddled around small campfires, their tents pitched as covers on either side of the cave. Rolls and mats of soft fabric were huddled beneath the covers, and large bags of supplies leaned against the stone. The other reason they had been forced to wait out the weather was the expectant mother huddled away in the back of the cave. The growling echoed out of the cave. A few of the tribe had been stationed outside to ward the entrance against unruly creatures of Hell that could be attracted by the noise and stench of agony.

Deep in the cave, the tribe stayed away from the bearing mother, her growls and howling making the males scatter, keeping their distance from the mother to be. Only her chosen close friends remained. Even the father was relegated away, forced to stay away by snapping teeth. The birthing party remained close, keeping her calm enough as the child began to breach. The howls of pain echoed as the child was pushed free of her womb, chord tangled around itself as it was wiped clean and swaddled in rags, taking tis first breath as the mucus was removed from its lips. The nub-like horns were barely visible, hard and black in the child’s forehead. Dark eyes opened blindly to look up at its mother before it let out a gurgling noise, wriggling in the soft swaddling. Trilling softly, the mother held the child close, chirping for the father who finally drew close to look at their kit. The kit gurgled again with a yawn before closing its eyes and the birthing party chirped happily, leaving the parents to bond with their new child.

“What will we call him?” The father whispered softly, running a gentle hand over the baby’s soft fluffy hair. The mother looked out to the mouth of the cave and hummed, pieces of her hair still stuck to her forehead. He mate pushed the hair away and tucked it back into her braids softly as she looked at the hammering black hail stones. Something came to her through the howling winds and melting ice balls.  
“I think Durrikan.” She hissed in Ghoulish, stroking her child’s face gently, looking at the dark eyes, flecked with dark purple as the kit held her finger, another yawn escaping its mouth. It had yet to cry like her friends had said it would. Her mate hummed softly with a nod, leaning close to press their foreheads together as they looked at their new child, and the consolidation of their bond.

-

The young Aether Ghoul was a mid-aged child when he was sat before the fortune teller. Her gnarled hands shook over the scrying bowl most days, and others she was left to her herbs and pipe. The smoke clouded the room still. The old Ghoul’s pipe sat, still smoking, on her thigh as she gazed into the nether, lilac gaze pulsing as the water mirrored shimmered beneath her. Durrikan was sat on the embroidered rugs, small hands held in the crones as she chewed her cheek. The little Ghoul looked around her tent, spying the plants shoved in the corner and the tomes stacked by her bed roll. Her small chest was full of crystals and herbs, the smell of random plants he had never seen leaking out of the partially opened lid. His parents were outside, banished from the tent as soon as the old Ghoul had caught sight of him. She’d soothed him with a small rock-hard biscuit when he sat before her.

Humming, she seemed to be enjoying what she was seeing, a smiled twitching her winkled face upwards. Durrikan looked up at her with a curious look, pointed ears flicking as her eyes returned to their normal coal colour. She smiled at him, patting his head before she ran her fingers through the bowl of water, dispelling the flowers and the images she had seen.  
“You have a great and powerful future.” And that was all she said before she handed him another rock-solid treat. She later went to speak to his parents, prophesising the power he would one day wield. A ring was pressed into his father’s hand. Durrikan looked at his own hands from his small partition in the tent, wondering what power he had in them.

-

The power flickered and died with a snap. Durrikan felt the blood pouring from his nose. The bowl had revealed nothing to him, the mirror shimmering and rippling unevenly beneath his hands. Purple power snapped away from his palms, shooting into the room. His mother had to duck to avoid a plant falling onto her head. The silver water rippled before going clear again, the flowers and herbs in the water spewing out onto the floor. His mother pushed his head back, a cloth cupped in her hand as she pressed it against his nose. The ache in his nose was sharp and he felt a tear drip down his cheek.   
“Shhh. Its alright, Dur.” His mother stroked her hands over his horns as she pinched his nose, trying to get the bleeding to stop. The blood stained the cloth a dark colour and the little Aether Ghoul whimpered softly at the sight of his own blood.

“I just…” The hot tears poured over his cheek bones, his head still held back by his mother, “I just want to be powerful…and do what everyone else can do.” He whispered through the hiccupping.  
“You will…You will.” His mother wrapped one arm around him in a hug. She’d healed the bruises of his last scrap with the others, them asking why he was the prophesised one when he couldn’t even summon the element into his hands. Durrikan sobbed into his mother’s robes. Shushing him she held his hands, wiping away the blood and tears.  
“Come, hold my hands, we will try together. I can help focus your control.” She held their hands together over the water and smiled encouragingly. Durrikan nodded and sniffled, holding his mother’s warm hands, focusing on the water beneath him. A faint image came to him, shaky and random. He gasped softly, his sinuses burning as he focused a little harder. He felt his mother’s hands move away.

The image sat still and crystal clear before him. He gasped in excitement as his mother grinned, stroking his hair. The brief images were jumbled and a mess, but he saw them. His tail slapped left and right in excitement as he launched himself into a hug.  
“I did it! I saw something!” He cried into her robe as his father entered, wondering what the noise was about.  
“Yes, my little one, you did.” She held his face softly, “You have that power tucked away…we just have to coax it out!” 

-

It was some years before they let their child out of their sight. Durrikan, or Aether as some nicknamed him for his prophesised strong link to the element, often liked to sneak away from his studies. The prophesised link hadn’t made itself known, only the barest Aether abilities had flared, and the old crone still insisted it would come, with time. It had been many years since then, and he had endured the bullying for his weak abilities for an age it seemed like, pushed around and bullied by his stronger peers. He’d barely been able to show a display of the curling effervesces during their last class and had seen nothing in the mirror of the scrying bowl with his mother the night before. The Quintessence Ghoul was fed up. He’d snuck away out the back of the tepee when his mother had left to deal with a small fight and made a break for the rocks which divided their camp site from the Fire Ghoul tribe that resided there. Graciously the other Ghouls had allowed them use of the land for the brief few weeks stay. They’d welcomed them as mystics and healers. The nomads exchanged their knowledge and traded wares before watching the gruesome pit fights with worried faces, healing the combatants after the sports before the volcanic brewed alcohol was pulled out.

Durrikan grumbled to himself, soft robes catching on the jagged rocks as he scrambled up the face of them, little claws gouging into the stone as he pulled himself up with growing muscles. The amount of times he’d snuck away and climbed was filling out his teenage body. He grunted as he reached the top and sat on top of a large boulder, glancing down at the encampment, the tepees and fires, the rolling purple fabrics of streaming clan flags, emblazoned with the symbol of their element and a clan rune. Dark eyes looked over the sight before he watched his mother run out of their tent, waving her arms in the air, obviously annoyed he had disappeared from his studies again. He snickered and turned on top of the rock to look over the other side of the plateau. The Fire Ghoul tribe was rife with just as much life. Their great carved homes in the sides of the mountain and huge structured totem poles reflected their harsher way of life. The Volcano could be seen in the distance smoking. Durrikan frowned down at the centre of the settlement where Fire Ghouls tended their massive bonfire in homage to their element and their reverent volcano lord. 

It was a mash of two cultures, one calm and collected, the other violent and harsh. He mussed on the idea of the Fire Ghouls and their pit fighting. The fire spewing from their hands as they grappled and snarled at one another. He’d never seen Ghoul’s as large or fearsome. They had done little more than wrestle and howl, the first to pin the other deemed the winner. It was a world away from the life he had lead so far. The young teenage Ghoul pushed back his hood after a glance around to let the wind whip his hair around his small horns. The dark hair had grown just over his eyes and he scowled, raking it back from his face to tuck it around the short black horns in his forehead. Blowing out a breath he got up from the rock and chirped over the rocks, listening to the noise echo down the rocks and into the Fire Ghoul Tribe. A few looked up and squinted before waving at their neighbour and returning to their jobs. Durrikan smiled before exploring the little plateau. The rocks were coal coloured and sharp. He stopped by one to pick up a shinning black glass piece with a titter, pocketing it with his other crystals.

As he meandered along the clearing in the rocks, he stumbled upon a small cavern. The opening was wide like a mouth and the inside dark like the abyss. The Aether Ghoul shivered looking inside before clicking his fingers with his eyes scrunched shut. His powers flickered to life before going out just as fast. With a sigh he focused harder on the centre of his palm. A small pulsing ball of energy rose to the surface of his skin, shining a faint purple light. It was enough. He ventured into the cavern with curious dark eyes, looking around at the smooth rock walls and scuttling darkness dwelling insects. They moved out of the way of his toughened feet as he padded through the cave. The noise of a crackling fire caught him off guard and his light sputtered out at the shock as he saw the huddled form of another Ghoul over the burning fire. A fluffy tail flicked behind them as they held their burning hands in the fire, watching the flames leave charcoal marks up their arms but do no damage. The Aether Ghoul stumbled blindly through the dark towards the light source before tripping over his robe and landing with a great thump and a loud groan.

The Fire Ghoul chattered and hissed, pulling his hands free before skittering over to Durrikan, teeth bared and claws sharp. Flames danced between the other Ghoul’s fingers and the Aether Ghoul hung his head before showing his hands, hood drooping over his hair as he tried to seem none threatening. The Fire Ghoul sniffed before smiling and tugging his horn.  
“Oh you’re an Aether Ghoul. That explains the strange scent.” The fire around his hands died before he helped Durrikan to his feet and brushed the drooping robes off. The other Ghoul was wrapped in a toga of black material, small rings of gold on his horns. “Come on, you can come sit if you’d like. Its nice and warm.” The Fire Ghoul waved him over, “I’m Tannim.” He hissed softly, the syllables laced with a distinct Fire Ghoul accent, drawn out trilling noises.  
“I’m Durrikan…” He carefully sat by the fire and noticed the arranged geos. 

The half rocks were laced with glittering crystals inside in a variety of amazing colours. They were arranged in a strange shape around the Fire and Tannim hissed at him when he grazed a finger over one with a crystal sticking out the middle. The Fire Ghoul’s wild eyes and coal coloured hair flapped around his face as he caught Durrikan’s hand and pulled it away, angular jaw set hard.  
“What are they for? They’re really pretty.” Durrikan shook Tannim’s grip off his arm and settled outside of the ring.  
“I’m trying to give myself the strength to survive my first magma bath…” Tannim whispered softly, looking into the small bonfire he had created.   
Durrikan looked at him with curious dark eyes, “Magma bath? Is that where you all jump in the volcano?” He had only heard stories about the initiation Fire Ghouls went through. Volcano jumping was all he could find in the textbook he’d read for three minutes before falling asleep.

Tannim laughed, a great noise that echoed down the walls of the corridor, “No! We take baths in the lava from the volcanoes, it washes away all our problems and all the dry skin and such. My first bath marks me as a member of the tribe…” The Fire Ghoul looked into the burning logs and Durrikan tilted his head, taking in the information.   
He reached into his pocket and rummaged around for a moment before presenting a long rose quartz to the Fire Ghoul, the soft milky pink colour glistening in the light of the flames, “Here. This is a calming enchanted stone. My grandmother makes them…” He pushed the stone across the cave floor towards Tannim. “How about we swap for good luck?” His dark eyes looked over the geos littering the floor. Tannim reverently took the quartz and nodded.

“These are expensive…you’re just going to give it to me?” The Fire Ghoul looked at him before realising he was and standing to rummage in his pile of geos. Carefully he extracted a blue shell. The inside was full of a rolling ripple of blue small crystals, each catching the light beautifully.   
The Aether Ghoul took the stone reverently and pushed his claw inside to feel at the beautiful formations, “Thank you…this is beautiful.” He tucked the small geo away in his pocket and smiled with sharp teeth, “You Fire Ghouls aren’t as bad as they make you out to be.”  
Tannim smiled and pushed his floppy dark hair out of his face, “Oh really? What do they say about us?”  
“Well, I had to watch a pit fight yesterday…its just that you’re all pretty violent.” He shrugged looking at the inquisitive Fire Ghoul.   
“We are pretty brutal I guess.” Tannim shrugged before scattering his stones, “I don’t think I’ll need these with this.” He opened his palm and smiled at the singing, Aether infused stone, “This will help me through tomorrow, I’m sure of it.”

Durrikan smiled at his new-found friend. Tannim clutched the quartz close to his heart and smiled, looking into the fire.  
“Don’t you have to get back to your tribe?” Tannim asked softly, large eyes looking at the slightly larger Aether Ghoul.  
“Probably…I ran up here to skip my classes again. My mother just won’t let me have a day off…” The Aether Ghoul grumbled, picking through the scattered crystals with interest. His weak connection to his element let him get a hazy feeling for which would accept feelings and powers the most easily. He pulled together a small pile and focused on a small amethyst. They were generic stones, the easiest to enchant. Purple light bled into the stone as he focused on it before the thing cracked with a snap, the top sent spinning off into the cave somewhere. It clattered against the walls and floor before skittering somewhere and stopping.

Durrikan felt his ears grow red in embarrassment as he swallowed, looking at the smoking shattered crystal. Vibrant laughter sounded from the Fire Ghoul. Tannim held his sides as he laughed, tears dripping down his nose.   
The Aether Ghoul sighed with a pout, “S’not funny!” He threw the broken rock into the bowels of the cave and sighed, “I’m not even able to enchant rocks…never mind able to summon the Aether.” He crossed his arms around his legs, hugging them as Tannim wiped his eyes and scuttled over, the pulsing rose quartz still clutched in his hand.   
“Hey, you’ll get the hang of it, I’m sure…There’s no need to be sad.” The Fire Ghoul pulled a flaming log towards himself and grasped the spitting fiery end. Durrikan cringed as the Fire Ghoul held it tight. The flame danced and flickered before crawling onto Tannim’s hand like a spider, tentatively and slowly.   
The young Fire Ghoul held out the palm of fire to Durrikan, “Here, give me your hand, alright? You have to trust me.” Durrikan swallowed before nodding and holding his hand out to Tannim. With a whispered noise, Tannim tipped his palm and placed the ball of fire in Durrikan’s palm. He flinched slightly but calmed when only a warm tingling was felt. The flame burned in his hand and churned softly.

“That’s…that’s amazing!” He turned his hand to look at the flame in awe and carefully held it back out to the Fire Ghoul, “Thank you for that…it’s cheered me up a bit.” He smiled with sharp teeth. Tannim tittered and blew the flame out with a wave of his hand. A sharp shout scared them. Durrikan ducked his head with a sigh, pulling his hood up.  
“I have to go…But good luck, Tannim. You will do amazing I know it!” The Aether Ghoul patted the Fire Ghoul’s shoulder before running from the cave, waving as his robes fluttered behind him.  
“You will master your powers, Durrikan! You have to believe!” He gave the Aether Ghoul a thumbs up as he watched him leave.

-

The group around him drew tighter, seated on the hard rock, their candles flickered as their eyes glowed. His powers had manifested, the skill of creating a portal sudden yet abrupt. It was still sat behind them, churning and growling, a hole in the nether. A violent vision ripped through his skull as they placed a polish, mirror-like stone before him. Its surface reflected the hellish sunlight and Durrikan cried, hands moving to his eyes as they were pounded with harsh rays. The vision tore through his lobes in a pounding movement. A girl passing him a bracelet, the fire still clinging to it as it glistened in the light of a forge. Her red eyes beamed at the creation. Slowly he took it from her, the Aether curling and cooling it before he clicked it on his wrist. Her smile was of sharp disjointed baby Ghoul teeth. 

He gasped and heaved violently over the stone, smoke curling from his fingers, light pulsing in his palms. Durrikan felt his eyes shifting, hazel to purple and back again as his powers flared. The stone was tossed aside as he butted his horns forwards, tail snapping and coiling behind him. Skin bled to toughened black hide as he howled, claws tearing chunks of earth free. The chanting grew soft, the portal thrumming behind him drowning out the words as his pointed ears flicked and wiggled violently. Two Ghouls, shifted, their faces hard, pinned him swiftly, growling as the Aether tightened around them, fighting for control of its vessel, willing him to give in. The old crone hummed from the front of the back, gnarled curled horns hanging with plants and crystals she had attached to them.  
“Powerful indeed.” She tapped the spent herbs out of her pipe before reaching with sharp claws towards his face. They sliced through the skin of his cheek easily, leaving a gash and a line of red welling blood.

The crone drew her hand back and looked at the blood before grinning, flicking it into her bowl. The violent torrent of images assaulted him again. Vomit rushed up from his stomach, painting the mirror with chunks of whatever it was he had eaten a few hours prior. He couldn’t remember, not as the bile and acid burnt his nostrils, dripping past his lips.   
“Another vision? Powerful…powerful…” She cooed softly before reaching for his face, rubbing her fingers over his cheekbones. He felt something wet against his face and saw her fingers pull away, covered in clay and ash. It smelt earthy. His smoking purple gaze locked with the elder Ghoul.   
“What…” His vocal chords crackled with growls, “What are you doing to me?” His stomach muscles rippled once more. The Aether Ghoul heaved on his hands and knees, worn out, his head still rattling. 

His arms were freed. Durrikan looked up at the crowded Ghouls and gave them confused looks. A straight blade razor was passed to him, the handle polished obsidian, engraved with the clan’s sigils. His skin shifted back to a pale colour.  
“You are one of us, if you remove your past.” She gestured to his hair, her pipe between her lips, the plants in it stinking as she looked at him through squinted eyes. Shakily, he grasped the blade and grasped his hair with one hand. He cut the long locks in one shift movement before moving the razor over each side of his head. The hair fell away in bristling fibres. The shock of hair down the middle of his head wasn’t dissimilar from the males around him. The crone reached for his head and found a long piece of his hair, winding it into a braid before sliding and knotting a bead into his hair, cylindrical and purple, the rune of the Aether carved into it. Durrikan felt his heart swell and his chest puff a little, pride filling him to the brim, despite the vomit he was knelt in. 

“Aether you are one with, child, so Aether you will be named…but not now. Soon, soon it will be your name, when the unholy vessels call.” Cryptic as ever, she was helped to her feet. She laid her cool hands over his shoulders with a smile. “Welcome your new brother and teach him our ways. He will soon need your teachings…” The old Ghoul left them, her pipe smoking a trail behind her as she returned to her tent to contemplate the future ahead of them all. Durrikan’s dark eyes followed her as she left before his mother and father pounced on him with hugs. The visions haunted him a little, but he pushed them aside, stooping to hug his mother and let her admire the bright purple bead weaved into the mohawk on top of his head.


	2. Continuation

Mastery was something earned over time. No Aether Ghoul mastered their powers quickly, and it was a long process of flickering abilities and intensive hours studying. Durrikan was fortunate to have been blessed with a deep-rooted connection to the element. All he didn’t have was much control over it. He could sneeze and tear a hole through the nether, launching some unfortunate soul up a mountain. The Ghoul had managed it a few times when walking with his tribe, sneezing when they entered Earth Ghoul territory, launching the creature next to him up into the air or through to some random place in front of them. That was his first learning curve. 

Durrikan glanced at the fiery sky as they walked, his clawed feet churning the earth as they moved from Fire Ghoul territory and into Water Ghoul lands. The sudden softness of the soil beneath him made him stumble a little, his boots sinking a little in the boggy consistency. A few of the tribe groaned as mud slid between their toes, a few having worn sandals for the trek across the hard, fiery lands behind them. Durrikan grinned at the strange earth beneath his feet and trudged along, humming softly as he drew up beside the Clan Mother. He had still not been told her real name, she was simply ‘Mother’ or ‘crone’ if you spoke to some of the hot-headed youths. Her sharp eyes turned to look at him as he walked next to her. She didn’t shoo him away, only continued to walk with her stick. The great black wooden stick was draped with crystals and vines. 

The crystals clicked as she shook the walking stick at him, “What is it you want, Aether? You only ever mooch up here when you want me to give you something.” She reached to place two hands on her cane, Durrikan moving to help her up the small slope, riddled with gnarled roots and strange water filled, pulsating plants. The Mother slapped his hands away, moving up the slope with grace.  
“I just have something to ask you, I don’t want anything, Mother, I swear.” He walked beside her quick gait, keeping time as he fiddled with his claws in front of himself, his tail swinging, “I would like someone to teach me about portalling is all…I’ve been accidentally opening them recently. Last time my father ended up in a tree on a mountain. I think its about time I just got some help controlling it.” He gave her a smile full of new formed adult Ghoul teeth, sharp and primed for tearing open carcasses. 

The Clan Mother hummed, consulting one of her crystals for a moment, spinning the deep emerald between two of her fingers as she pondered the idea of finally teaching him something worth learning. She nodded and pointed to him with a curved claw, “I will show you, but be prepared to sit for a few hours little Ghoul…well, you're maybe not too little anymore are you?” She laughed, a great bellowing noise, before shooing him back to his peers, “You will soon see why it is the hardest skill to learn Durrikan.” 

Hours later, she called him over. The young Ghoul managed to clean the blood from his chin before he stood before her, smiling with sharp teeth. She only told him to sit, so he did, carefully arranging his cloak around his crossed legs as she smacked her great stick against a bag, knocking it towards him. Durrikan opened the bag and peered inside. It was empty.  
“Such a funny face.” She cackled at his expense before clacking one of his horns with her staff, “It’s a tool for you. You can’t see through it, so how are you going to get through it?” The ancient Ghoul rested her stick over her lap and hummed, pulling her smoking pipe from her cloak, pushing some weeds into the base of it. She sparked a match against her horn and waited for him to puzzle the idea out.

Durrikan chewed his cheek, pressing a hand against the bottom of the bag, feeling the tough burlap against his fingertips before he ripped a hole in the bottom, “So…Like ripping through it with the nether? Just pushing through the Aether until you find where you want to be?” He tilted his head, thinking of another answer.  
“Almost, Aether, almost.” She pulled the sack from him and smiled, “In principle yes, but you must unstitch all around you, see.” The stitches in the bottom of the bag snapped under her claws and Durrikan nodded, understanding watch she meant, in principle, theory was a little beyond his grasp.  
“So how do I do that?” He shut his mouth as she hushed him with another smack to his horns.  
“Hush. I was just getting to that.” She tutted and curled her hand, watching the purple curling around her palm as the fabric of her being responded to her call, “You must focus yourself and push yourself through the fabric of everything around you. It takes mountains of effort, but if you do it right, it can save you in a moment of destruction.” 

The young Ghoul nodded and span in place to look at where she was pointing, “Try there first.” Her smirk made him fiddle with his hands nervously, looking at the rock at the edge of the clearing, over the edge a sheer drop into the brush and carnivorous plants that had taken root there. Swallowing, Durrikan glanced over to the other rock and focused his flaring energies. The Aether took shape in his palm before he looked through the space around him, tugging and pulling at the strings that formed everything before him. He plucked the space apart and focused on the image of the other rock. He gasped as he lurched forwards, appearing on top of the other rock in a puff of smoke. The Clan Mother laughed at his face before flicking a small bead towards him, “Tie that in your braid, Aether.” She clambered to her feet, “You seem to keep on impressing me.” Smoke curled from her lips as she walked away, and Durrikan chirped, preening at her praise, tying the bead in his hair before following her, rushing to catch up to her side. The Clan Mother snickered before smacking him with her stick, “Don’t let it get to your head, little one, there is still much to learn.” 

 

Passing through Earth Ghoul territory lead to many outcomes, and most involved someone being injured trying to mess with their guardian plants. They’d stopped to talk to a band of moss loving Earth Ghouls, their hair deep green and curly, much like their strange moss plants, eyes shifting, the colour of the soil they stood on. The two tribes exchanged pleasantries before the Aether Ghouls were welcomed into the branches of the Old Shelter, the ancient tree which the Earth Ghouls had lived under since their creation. What they had not told the Aether tribe was of the sickness spreading through their people. The plants and trees wilted with the fungal looking creature, clinging to the bark and roots as it absorbed the nutrients from their lively hood like a parasite. The disease was killing certain plants, mainly the ones used for foods. 

Durrikan ducked his head to enter the little den in the branch of the tree, still feeling uneasy about being so high up off the ground. The wood groaned as he moved, but the Earth Ghoul’s assured them all it had withstood the test of time, and nature, many thousands of times. He looked around the sick den and pulled the handkerchief tighter around his face. The spores had taken root in the Earth Ghoul’s claws falling off as the fungi leached them dry. The Clan Mother span wards around them with a tap of her stick, crystals glowing as she ensured they and the other escorting Earth Ghouls could not be infected with the parasitic life form. He looked around worriedly at the wheezing Ghouls. Their tails flat, curled around their shaking forms as they coughed and spluttered. A few in the corners were barely conscious. 

“Are there even enough of us to help, Mother?” The large Quintessence Ghoul whispered, sadness coating his words as he saw a kit mewl sadly in the corner. He moved to kneel by the kit as the rest of the tribe filtered in, or those who had the strength to heal, casting wards as they glanced around at the sick.  
“We can heal them, well with your help we can, Aether.” She huffed and tugged him over to the kit he had been glancing at sadly, “You must learn. Channelling the Aether to help in these situations is what you were born for laddie.” Her claws patted his cheek before she carefully eased the grip of the kit’s mother. Durrikan grasped the wheezing kit gently, cradling him gently as he pushed coarse hair away, looking at the mottled growth of the fungus over the little Ghoul’s cheeks. With a resolute nod he sat down on the bark floor and looked to his mentor.  
“What do I have to do? Imagine the healing?” He laid the kit across his lap, eyes shifting to deep purple as he ran black fingers over the little kit’s forehead, easing the fever as well as he could with his limited skill. 

Their Mother turned and bid the rest of the tribe to come close, “Yes, but it is also about the intricate details of that, it goes beyond imagining. You must see the kit get better, Aether, you must fix the ills yourself by manipulating the very foundation of the illness to your own will.” The others crowded and laid their hands on his shoulders, even if it was just a finger, “We will help ground you, but this is a task you should be able to manage alone.” She leaned over to look at the kit and tutted gently. “Now heal him. You are capable of manipulating and stitching the Aether in such a way, far more than capable.” Sitting back, her sharp eyes watched him, mouth and nose hidden by her woven scarf. 

With a deep breath, Durrikan pressed his black hide fingers to the kit’s forehead, eyes glowing as he searched into the life essence of the child. It was blackened and small, paralysed by the toxins flowing through its blood. First, he carefully began to unwind the toxins, watching through the haze, his unfocused eyes twitching, as he tore the molecules to pieces and crushed them with a simple flare of power. He eased the kit’s heart, strengthening the muscle for the next part. When it beat loud and strong, he moved his attention to the fungus growths, searching for small newer pockets, unknitting their existence with a soft hiss. A sharp ache burned behind his eyes and in the bridge of his nose. The Clan Mother pressed something to his nose as he continued, ignoring the pain throbbing in his mind. Like a desperate creature, the fungus fought back, spores flying through the bloodstream. Aether caught the kit’s immune system before it could send him into shock, the Aether seeking the fleeing creatures before they could settle elsewhere in the kit. One by one he ensnared and demolished the colonies, watching as the kit began to breathe and hum softly. 

Taking the last cell he collapsed backwards, feeling his nose burn with hot blood. He spat blood from his mouth, staining the handkerchief he’d had pressed to his face. Mother leaned over, a coloured green bead in her hand. He whoozily felt her wind it into his rough braid and he smiled with pink teeth, head pounding. Wiping the blood from his face he took a deep breath and looked at the kit, skin a little pale, but the growths halted. He cast a ward over the little kit before passing it to an Earth Ghoul, “I would like to still help…I can do more.”  
“I would expect nothing less Aether.” She smiled and helped him to his feet. They had much to do before the tribe would be cured.  
The process of healing was slow, and after a few days, each tribe had recovered enough to set off and begin weaving magic back into the woodlands. The Earth Ghoul’s weaved their life back into their crops with glee, ever thankful for the help the Aether Ghouls had lent them. The fungus was culled in days, piles of it burning in great bonfires. They parted ways, knowledge and stories shared, and supplies replenished. 

 

Hauntingly, the mirror lay before him like broken glass, floating on top of a pool of water. Durrikan gazed through the abyss with lifeless purple eyes, watching the pieces shift an curl through the water, spinning gently as it rippled around them. The water flowed in a circular current, the gentle splosh of it over the polished faces of the glass making Aether calm. The world around him was dim as he sat in front of the waterfall, the water crashing in front of him, but the pool at his feet undisturbed. It was a calm little pond, wind chimes sounding behind him as he sat facing the crashing wall of water, looking down in front of himself. The glass stuttered and flipped again before pausing and shuffling rapidly, piecing together as he placed his claws in the water. Durrikan pushed his claws forwards and reached for a large shard, hissing as it sliced his hand open. Blood clouded the water as he pulled the mirrored piece free, watching it twitch and spin when he released his tight grip.

Blood smeared the edges. Durrikan watched as it gathered over the middle of the mirror before sinking deep into the glass, the spots disappearing. Gasping, his head shot back as he was bombarded with images, mouth open as his head pounded and throbbed, the images assaulting him. A robed figure in a tall hat. He was in chains, silver burning through his skin as blood was poured down his throat and incense burned in the corners. A pale skinned creature was laid over the floor, eyes glassy and heart torn open. Iron burned his nose as he swallowed and choked on blood. Howling he tore the corpse in front of him open and bared his fangs, tearing meat and bone apart as he felt the seal burn into his ribcage, the elemental symbol for Aether burned into the top right side of his ribs. He scratched at the skin with a howl before launching himself at the man with the mismatched eyes. The silver chains held him back, burning and tightening around his neck. The man laughed at him with a smirk before presenting a guitar. His disciple held the shining creation out before he felt a cold mask press over his head. The man turned his head upwards with a smile, “Aether.” He whispered, cold leather fingers stroking the sides of his mask and his chin. “That is who you are.”

Durrikan felt his head swim and caught himself before he could collapse into the water. The piece of glass in his hand vibrated and hummed before shooting from his grasp, slicing his palm again as it rejoined the other cracked pieces of mirror in the pool of water, flipping and dancing softly among its brothers and sisters. He heard the shake of the old crones walking stick and glanced back with a bloodied nose once again, churning what he had saw over in his head.  
She handed him a cloth, “By the look on your face, I’m going to assume you saw what I saw when you were born…You were made for that destiny Aether, do not forget that, hm?” She sat and weaved his braids backwards, sliding another bead into one as he cleaned his face.  
“I saw…I know now.” Durrikan looked at his palms and focused, watching the wounds seal and heal over quickly, “I will do the right thing when the time comes.”  
“Good.” She left him in the clearing to contemplate his findings.

 

Heats. The word was like dropping a bomb within a tribe. It was two centuries nearly before Aether ever saw anything related to them. It was another fifty years after that before he experienced one. Aether Ghouls, by nature, and anatomy, were unable to be launched into ruts by their own natural body cycles. They could only be triggered in Aether Ghouls by another Ghoul already in heat, usually of another element. Even with that, Aether Ghoul’s were lacking the anatomy of knots and slick production, it was a twisted feature of their connection to the very fabric of the universe, corrupting the normal anatomy their other elemental brothers and sisters had been gifted with.

The Clan Mother drew them to a halt on a ridge, glancing over the horizon with a scowl, her burning pipe twisting between her teeth and lips as she looked down at the Fire Ghoul settlement. Durrikan knew the place, he had been as a child with his tribe, climbing the path that now laid behind them, meeting the Fire Ghoul in the cave and exchanging stories and stones. He reached into the pocket of his robe and smiled as his hand met with the cool geo, his claws clicking against the crystals as he curled his hand around it protectively, smiling at the fond memories of his childhood. He’d not been back in some time. Their leader reached for her talisman around her neck, nostrils flaring, stones around her horns dancing in a hot breeze. Whatever had drawn them to a halt seemed to not faze her now as she continued, her steps sure and assertive. Durrikan sighed softly, running his hand over the geo until it was warm as they continued down into the Fire Ghoul settlement, dust and banners flying. 

The settlement was a little larger, a few kits scrambling around in the dirt, totem poles and great burning bonfires just as well looked after as they had appeared from the hill. Aether glanced around from beneath his hood, purple eyes taking in the surroundings, admiring the profound architecture of the carved homes and huge fires. The logs snapped with the roar of fire and he found himself daring himself to touch the flames and see if they would hurt him. He knew they would, without the help of a Fire Ghoul, and so he instead took to scratching at his side burns and the stubbly hair that was growing back around his mohawk, the sides needing to be sheared clear again. Something permeated the air around them, and Durrikan looked to the bonfire again. A twisted demon was laid over the flames, its body charring and spewing out green smoke on top of the logs, the sharpened ends of them pierced through the carcass to hold it in place for the flames to lick and destroy its corrupted vessel. He tuned back into the monotonous welcoming they were receiving just in time to be dragged before the imposing Fire Ghoul leader. 

The Clan Mother signalled for him to bow, so he did, horns low in a regal movement reserved for the highest-ranking Ghouls in tribes. When his horns touched the floor, he lifted himself back up and stood quietly by Mother, eyes watching as she introduced them, and specifically ‘Aether’. When they were alone again, left to their own devices, he would grumble at her for using his name as a bargaining chip for more food for them. She beckoned the Head Fire Ghoul over with a wave of one ring covered hand, “Show him your palms, Fire Leader.”  
The Fire Ghoul did as he was bid with a puffed out chest and a sharp grin, “Another voodoo ritual Aether Mother?” He chuckled before grunting as her stick slapped the back of his head.  
Durrikan gave him a smile, looking along a line of his black hide palms before humming, eyes bleeding to purple as he plucked at the strings of the Aether around the great Fire Ghoul, “Your son will be born in one hundred and twenty seven days during a lightning storm, but he will be followed with a hard decision for you, Leader.” Durrikan drew his hands away. They were welcomed with open arms. His nose twitched at the scent of the Ghouls around him. Something was wrong.

Durrikan woke in the middle of the night to the echoed rumbling of Ghouls bouncing up the walls of their caves. The rest of the clan slept on. He listened again, ears twitching as he listened to the disturbed Ghoulish noises that echoed into the caves. Getting to his feet, he pulled his robe on and ventured out, feeling the gentle warmth of the breeze that always blew through Fire Ghoul territory as he walked. He drew down his hood up and walked down the crumbling side of the slope, clambering up another so he could peer over the ridge. A small gathering of Ghouls were gathered around the sides of the magma pools, growling and grunting as they wrestled. Durrikan rolled his eyes and descended the slope to meet them, and possibly complain about them fighting like hard headed morons so late. As he slid to the bottom he felt his stomach churn with a cold shiver. 

The Fire Ghouls lazily raised their heads to look at the newcomer, hips locked and teeth bared as they stopped wildly fucking to assess the threat near them. None of them moved for a moment and Durrikan felt his nostrils flare. The air was thick and heavy with strong, heavy scents of cinnamon and burning lava as it flowed in the pools around them. He felt sweat drip down over his forehead as one of the Ghoulettes stood from her partner, the male whining as his dick slipped free of her heat. He soon turned to the male neck to him and kissed him soundly, rutting softly against him as he watched another Ghoulette seat herself on his wanted partner. The Ghoulette swung her hips before reaching for Durrikan’s robes, claws sliding inside the open material as he stood, sniffed and watched the others writhe together, too lost in the grips of heat. Something curled to life in his gut and he cursed softly as the Ghoulette dragged him into the mass of writhing bodies. 

“Such a big boy.” She purred before pushing him down softly, her hips rubbing over his bare legs, whining when she put friction on her own clit with the rotations. “A big handsome Aether Ghoul all for me.” Moaning she leaned over, long tongue licking at his dick. He was already at half mast, and the soft licks and harsh sucking made him groan aloud, feeling himself harden easily in her mouth. The heady scent of heat made his head churn and fry. Shrugging his robe off he reached claws up to her chest and kneaded the hide gently, all of their forms flickering and shifting together with the pleasure. Durrikan moaned again when she drew away and purred, tail jolting behind her as she shifted forwards and breathed into his ears with a wet moan. She sank onto him easily, her walls already stretched and slick with copious amounts of fluid, probably other Ghoul’s cum as well. It didn’t deter Durrikan as he moved his hips upwards instinctively, feeling her contract around him as he growled and started a mindless, brutal upwards pace, jolting the Ghoulette on top of him.

Throwing her head back, she moaned and came around him, her walls slicking again against him before she was wrestled back by another male who plunged his fingers deep into her, consuming her lips with a hot and wet kiss to silence her complaints. Durrikan’s head was pulled to the side by another Ghoulette, her bright red eyes and dark hair making her appear devious as she kissed him, tongue dancing with his before she pressed his hand to her nethers. He rolled on top of her and rubbed softly at her mound, watching her squirm as the tips of his fingers rubbed at her clit, tight circles that made her jolt against his touch. Plunging his fingers inside her he purred and moved them against her walls tentatively. She was tight. She hadn’t been fucked yet by the rest of the group. With a possessive noise he fingered her open, and growled as another male kissed her, moving to claim her lips and noises for his own. Drawing his fingers out of her, he pushed his hips up towards her heat and claimed it with a slow glide, feeling her open up for him, hips spread wide to welcome him in. She was slick. Durrikan thrusted in and out, already highly strung, and hissed at her tightness.

“You’re fuckin’ tight.” He whispered after kissing her soundly, drawing away with spit slick lips. She moved to answer but only moaned when he tugged her hair and drove his hips forwards again with a harsh snap. “So tight and wet.” Groaning he felt his spine zing with pleasure before the heat settled in his gut. He came inside her and pressed his fingers to her clit as he rocked in and out. She came with a snap and a growl, pulling him down by the horns to kiss his lips before she squirmed and moved to lick at another Ghoulette, her long obscene tongue dripping with saliva as she kissed the mound and plunged it inside, much to the pleasure of the other Ghoulette. They grabbed at one another and Durrikan purred before he was pushed onto his back, another Ghoulette whimpering on top of him. Rutting against his chest, she reached for his face, asking silent permission. Durrikan pulled her hips forwards with a gasp before licking softly at her wet pussy. Mewling above him, the Ghoulette rocked against his mouth, urging his tongue inside and his lips to suck as she enjoyed the heated appendage against her. She rocked hard against him, holding his horns and braids in her fists as she pushed him tight against her, begging for more, wishing to just fall over the edge. Durrikan moaned into her pussy lips as he felt another hand on his dick, a male taking the head into his mouth soon after, sucking harshly. One of his hands gripped the Ghoulette’s hips before his other grasped the male’s hair, sinking him low as he bucked upwards.

The two were torn from him by a larger male, who prowled close with a growl and a snort of fire. Dark midnight coloured hair and crystal blue eyes. Durrikan’s eyes widened in recognition of the youngster he had met as a child.  
“Tannim?” He rumbled as the large Fire Ghoul mounted his hips, rotating his hips so their hard, wet dicks could slide against one another. His claws trailed up the toned abs and chest before grasping the other Ghoul’s face, “Its been so fucking long…” The Aether Ghoul moaned.  
“Durrikan? Durrikan how? Fuck. Fuck I’ve missed you…” Tannim groaned as he gripped their dicks together and thrust forwards softly, gentle almost in his actions. “I want to sit on your dick…or fuck you…I don’t know, fuck.” Both their heads were fuzzy with the heat scent, the urge to rut, cum and feel pleasure overwhelming. The Fire Ghoul drew over a pot of a neutral smelling lubricant, an oil of some sort. Durrikan snatched it before he could dip his fingers in, and did so himself, before pushing Tannim down into the coal coloured rocks with a grumble, ass up in the air.

His fingers slid inside easily. Tannim was already red and raw. Still he pushed the lubricant inside, opening the entrance up again with clumsy, ill-practiced movements. Moaning together, the Aether Ghoul scissored his fingers apart and watched Tannim squirm with a delighted smile. He fingered him open slowly, “Does that feel good Tannim? I…I’m just gonna…fuck I need you.” He groaned, composure dropping with another burning painful wave.  
“Fuck, please, please do it, Durrikan. I need you.” Tannim moaned lewdly, tail tossed over his back as he pushed his ass backwards. Durrikan extracted his fingers, chirping and rubbing soothing circles into Tannim’s back before he lined his dick up and thrust forwards, sliding deep with a long groan.  
“Fuck you’re sinfully tight.” He cursed before thrusting harshly, pace picking up as Tannim grinned and moaned beneath him, delighting in the debauchery around him. The Fire Ghoul pulled a Ghoulette forwards, still moaning softly, before pulling her hips up and licking at her pussy, tongue curling masterfully before it stuttered and stopped as he felt Durrikan pick up the pace behind him. 

Another Ghoulette crept over to occupy Tannim’s dick, pressing the length between her lips with a soft gag. She moved over his length and sucked with a suckling noise. Tannim reached a hand down to pull her hair appreciatively. Durrikan watched the scene with a groan, hips slapping against the Fire Ghouls as he felt another male behind him, dick sliding between his thick thighs. The Ghoul grumbled and chirped, happy when Durrikan reached around the kiss him, tongue dipping inside the hot cavern before he pulled Tannim back from the Ghoulette’s pussy. She had finished all over his mouth and Durrikan delighted in licking it off as he pistoned fast into him.  
“I’m gonna cum, Durrikan…I’m so fucking- Fuck.” Durrikan watched Tannim shoot load after load on cum into the Ghoulette’s mouth. She gagged before opening her mouth, showing off the load before swallowing and kissing them each in turn, letting them taste a little of Tannim’s cum that remained. That was enough and Durrikan came with a groan deep in his childhood friend’s backside. The two collapsed together among the curled mass of bodies, exhausted as they cooed and petted one another. 

The two gathered themselves after another day spent fucking by the magma pools. They head back to their tribes, stinking of sweat, cum and one another. The Clan Mother only shook her head with a laugh as he explained what had happened.  
“That, my boy, was your first heat, and it won’t be the last. But it sounds like you boys and girls had plenty of fun hm?” She cackled as he blushed. 

Tannim caught him before the Aether Tribe left, catching his arm with bright blue pleading eyes, “I know you have to go, Aeth…and I know that is your way…but I, fuck this is harder than I thought it would be. I want you to…have this?” The Fire Ghoul held up a large heavy chain bracelet with a sheepish look. “I have it made for you in the smith. It’s so you can remember and come back sometime?” Tannim patted his cheek softly before smiling.  
“Thank you…” He whispered in awe of the creation as it was clipped around his left hand, watching as it glittered in the light, “I’ll come back one day, I promise.”

It was something he never managed to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took a while, feel free to go and catch me over on tumblr at my new URL knoife-ghoul.


	3. Destinies

The creature’s jaws snapped towards him, huge lumbering frame and great folded legs snapping out towards him to try and pull him into the solid hard knives along its legs. They missed as Durrikan ducked and rolled, claws scrapping along the rocks to swerve him around to face the lumbering insect demon. Mandibles clicked and snapped before the demon’s tail snapped, spiked end of it’s tail cracking like a whip, striking at his legs. Getting to his feet he howled at the thing, feeling small beneath its hard chitinous weight as it leaped on him again. Aether had been forced to shift when the demon had jumped out of the trees near the little kits of the pack. He’d been put-on baby-sitting duty, reading to the little kits as they listened quietly, chewing the small bags of snacks their parents had sent with them. Roaches. That’s what they called the things. Huge scavenging creatures that liked nothing more than attacking little spawns of any demon race.

Hissing, the Roach launched itself at him and Aether spat back, spines flaring to deflect a great slice to his back. The folded leg snapped over the spines, a couple of the hard, sharp edges flying into the air as he deflected the blow. The Roach screamed at him, spittle flying over his dark hide as he sized the insect demon up. Rotating around one another, they were at a stalemate, that was until a kit chirped from the woods. The insect reared around, two of its eyes rotating backwards so it could look at the panting Ghoul. It shot of in a burst of speed, legs bouncing it up in the air above the tree line. Aether roared after it, falling onto all fours so he could speed through the trees as it bounced in the air again, thrashing through the branches as the kit screamed before it. He pushed himself harder, eyes glowing as he dashed through a torn open portal. Focusing he was suspended for a moment before he opened it in mid-air. The Roach tilted its head.

Durrikan slammed into the protective plating over the creature’s chest. The insect screamed, green blood flying from its chest as his horn sliced deep, impaling the Roach’s glandular organ. It was how it produced the violent spitting acid. He pulled his head back in the air, claws scrambling before curling underneath the plating and forcing the demon down beneath his weight as they crashed through the branches of the trees again. The trees shook as they landed among the gnarled roots, wrestling and spitting with one another. The kit flopped to the ground wailing, irritating the insect beneath him even more.   
“RUN!” He howled, and the little kit did, shifting violently and scrambling through the undergrowth, “TELL MOTHER!” Durrikan slammed his claws into the Roach’s head, watching a mandible go flying over his head, green blood oozing in thick blobs as he tore the armour off it’s face. The demon hissed over him, something in its back clicking before a violent spray of acid was launched into the air. Claws and legs pinned him to the dirt and Durrikan’s claws scraped uselessly before he focused long enough to blink himself across the clearing, tail snapping before he leaped at the back of the Roach, jaws locking around one of the brown spines.

The acid spray fell to the ground and landed with a hiss, enough of the violent agent from the creature’s gland having been made in the mangled organ he’d smashed underneath his horn. The acid burned against him, but he ignored the pain of the skin melting on the top of his head. The beads clicked against his horns as he tore a chunk of the appendage away, green blood spurting in his mouth. He dropped the mouthful, claws curling for purchase as he attacked it again, sharp teeth tearing deep into the wounded flesh once more. The sprayer came free from the dark brown skin, acid pouring from the end. Durrikan spat it into the dirt before scrambling up the Roach’s back. It bucked and hissed wildly, arms snapping open and closed, great feet pounding and throwing up dirt as it tried to pull the Ghoul free of its plated back. Hissing, Durrikan clung on before rearing his head and smashing it into the plate at the back of the Roach’s neck. It cracked, and he launched his fist towards it to finally shatter it open.

The hard, brown chitin gave away to reveal a pulsing nerve point. Roaches didn’t have brains. A small neural network that directed and screamed hunt. Primal feelings and controls. Durrikan howled as the Roach launched itself into a tree, the Quintessence Ghoul smashed against the wood, a second one sent him clattering through the trunk. The log fell as he landed against another, spines on his back shattering and claws moving beneath him. His muzzle dripped with blood and spit as the Roach scuttled after him, jumping at him with purple spit splattering over his face, joining the acid that was still burning his leathery hide. He raised his taloned feet and scrapped them downwards before flexing the muscles, sending the over sized insect flying away from him. He wasn’t a Fire Ghoul or a Earth Ghoul, he couldn’t spit venom or breathe fire, and Durrikan backed around a tree, drawing upon his powers. A focused movement as he sucked the log from the broken tree through a portal, jaws dripping as he wrestled the insect from behind. His sinched his arms around the insect and squeezed, chest tensing as he felt plating crack and the Roach howled, screeching at the burning sun. 

Durrikan huffed before flinging the insect to the floor and jumping away. The Roach writhed on the floor, struggling to get its feet back under it, bleeding green over the dirt. Durrikan twisted his claws in the dirt, the mental strain of holding a weight in the nether finally draining him. He opened the portal and directed the log downwards. The Roach scrambled to its feet and sputtered. The log crashed through the trees with a slam, the insect screeching as it was slammed into the dirt, back crushed beneath the wood. Durrikan panted, cuts beginning to heal as he prowled over to the creature. Blood rushed from its mouth, the log having destroyed its breathing system. Legs twitched as red eyes rolled up at him. It shuddered once more before dying, the wood covered in viscous green blood. 

He heard the howls of his tribe before he saw them. Great dashing shadows appeared through portals to join him. Their clan Mother hopped off the back of one of her companions, shaking her horns, crystals clacking as she curled her nose at the putrid smell of the decomposing Roach. It’s own violent acidic blood burning its corpse. Durrikan sat on his haunches, panting, long, pointed tongue lolling out the side of his jaws. Raking spine marks covered his chest and abdomen from the Roach’s great pincer like arms. He looked up before bowing his head to the Clan Mother. She made a beeline for him as the others pushed a metal rod through the Roach’s pulsating neural core. It shuddered again and Durrikan flinched before looking to their Mother. 

“If you were not there, those kits would have perished.” At the mention, a series of rapid trills and clicks sounded. The little kits hopped off the backs of their mothers, running for him despite his battered and bloodied state. Their mothers let them, shifting back into easier forms. The kits scrambled for him, tails wagging as they gripped his large form, wriggling and crying around him. The Clan Mother pulled them away and shushed them before pushing them back towards their mothers. “They were scared but told us you were fighting a Roach.” She slapped him with her cane, “You great big buffoon!”   
“What was that for?!” He grumbled in Ghoulish before her cane hit him again, “HEY!”  
“You could have died you fool! You have the ability to teleport for a reason!” She clouted him with the stick again, tapping it over his head with a loud thump.

“Still…Your bravery means these kits are alive. So here, you large fool.” She pulled his muzzle down, tugging the rough hair of his mohawk, the hair harder and coarser in his shifted form, tall and exaggerated with the shift. The beads glowed in his hair, the magic of the Aether flowing in the symbols. She pulled one of his braids before removing a clasp from the sleeve of her robe. It glittered with an enchanted rune. Carefully she leaned over between the horns, Durrikan ducking his head low so she could reach to clip the clasp in his hair.   
“Thank you, Mother.” He grumbled. She smacked the end of his muzzle in response before laughing and leaving him by the tree. His Mother and Father moved over to help him heal, hands dancing over his wounds, plucking the strings of the Aether to heal him. The shift back was easier then. Then the kits pounced on his naked form, laughing and scrambling in the dirt with him, chittering their thanks for saving them and beating up the monster. Durrikan laughed and chattered back. 

 

Water Ghouls were rare to come across. Durrikan was amazed when they accidentally bumped into a few. They were lounged around their huge lake of water, little scales in their hides shining like pearls. The scales shimmered in different colours in each of the Water Ghouls and disappeared as they turned away from the light. They caught sight of the Aether Ghouls and tittered in terror before launching into the water, diving beneath the surface with noiseless ripples. Durrikan moved towards the water in wonder, looking through the clear water. They had disappeared into the water, not a trace of their shinning scales in sight. The Clan Mother shrugged her shoulders from the rest of the group.  
“They are skittish creatures, they will come back soon, just with a larger number of themselves…it will be fine. Come Durrikan, away from the water. They may have other ideas and drag you under.” He quickly moved away from the waters edge. He’d never been fond of open bodies of water anyway, nor could he swim well, despite his best efforts. 

They spent most of the day setting up their little camp, tepees and small cooking fires going as the sun set over the black horizon. Durrikan’s ears twitched as he heard the splosh of water. The pool across from their camp was dark. He sharpened his gaze and nudged the teen next to him. Glowing eyes peered out of the water, great big crystalline blue eyes. They sparkled in the fire light, glittering just above the water line. His mouth fell open as they chirped and tittered, moving around in the water before the largest of them crept out of the water, fins flaring before melting into the skin as though they had never been there in the first place. The tough cartiledge on his tail remained, the two fins there like little rudders. Durrikan stood from his place in the grass, watching as the Clan Mother moved out towards the Water Ghoul, her arms open wide in greeting, a smile he had never seen on her face. 

The lead Water Ghoul embraced her tight. They shared an embrace longer than any would consider normal, and Durrikan felt a rush of emotions swarm him. He knew he was more adept, more prone to the sensing of other’s emotions, and smiled as he picked apart the Clan Mother’s feelings. It was sad she could never have what she wanted. Clan Mother was an impartial role, she could never take a mate, or she would relinquish her title to the next eldest female. Durrikan looked at the large Water Ghoul male. He was lithe and tall, pale blue scales glittering beneath his eyes as he looked at her in the moonlight. He opened his palm to reveal a dazzling pearl, a string threaded through its centre. Before the rest of the tribe could see, he tucked it on her horn, trilling softly. They broke apart after that and Durrikan felt saddened.

“Aether Ghouls are always welcome at our watering holes.” He addressed softly, fins flaring on his back again as he ushered his people forth. Eyes peaked out of the water before the Water Ghouls slowly rose above the surface, their fins extending and folding as they moved among the Aether Ghouls like they were old friends. A couple of Ghouls embraced their friends. It wasn’t often the Water tribe were able to see their old friends. Durrikan shook hands with a few, laughing at the water that drenched his hand. Seems none of them knew the meaning of decency either. He laughed with a couple of the younger Water Ghouls before looking up. The Clan Mother was gone. He smiled knowingly before tuning back into the lilting tones of the Water Ghouls, their accents almost as though they were singing the words. 

They moved close to the Water Ghoul settlement the next day. Durrikan was plied for help, every Water Ghoul and their cousin seemingly wanting something from him. It was no doubt the work of the Clan Mother once again, whoring out his Aether prowess to ensure they held strong standing among their friends. Scrying and churning the Aether to his will left him exhausted. Durrikan collapsed on top of a squashy toadstool, the thing pulsating with light in the darkness like a beckon. He hoped it wouldn’t poison his backside as he perched on it, rubbing at his eyes as the water filled plants near the water tipped and dunked their pitchers into the water once more, fish held captive, awaiting the slow digestion that followed. He jumped when something rustled in the undergrowth behind him. Large eyes peered through the foliage. They were bright blue, like the ocean and glittered. A soft, timid trill sounded and Durrikan looked a little harder.

The sound of a crow in the trees made the creature leap from the undergrowth. Durrikan caught the little Water Ghoul with one hand wrapped around his arm, stopping him from thumping his head into a tree branch. Scared and jumpy, the Water Ghoul scuttled under his legs, peering out from underneath the oversized toadstool when he deemed it safe. Durrikan smiled down at him with soft brown eyes. The youngster was gangly and long limbed, maybe just barely a teen. The dark haired Water Ghoul crept out from underneath his legs and trilled softly.

“I’m sorry. I thought something had found me.” His pointed ears drooped, blue eyes looking down at the ground. The apology was there, but something blocked it from his eyes.  
“Hey its alright, don’t worry about it, alright?” He smiled, leaning back on his toadstool, “Did you need something…” Aether probed the air quickly, finding his name easily, “Tal?”   
The Water Ghoul looked at him with wide eyes, “How did you know that? So, you really are a mind reader? I get why they call you Aether now.” His mouth opened, little fins on his back flattening and disappearing into the skin of his back as the panic fled from him.  
Durrikan laughed gently, “I’m not a mind reader, I can just see things other people can’t…Why? Do you want to know something?”   
“Ah…I just…” Tal looked side to side, glancing around the woods with strange glowing eyes before answering Durrikan, “I wanted to know about something? If that’s okay?”

The fidgeting made Durrikan curious. He studied the Water Ghoul’s large watery eyes as he mulled over what it might be that he wanted to know, “That’s alright. What do you wanna know squirt?”   
Tal’s nose wrinkled at the nickname, but he continued, fidgeting with his claws in front of him, “I wanna know about scrying that’s all…You can do it can’t you? Can you see my future with it? If…See if I’ll ever be loved or be normal.” The Water Ghoul flushed and Durrikan’s eyes widened before he shushed Tal softly, wiping the glittering tears away.   
“I can see a lot of things, but it might not be what you want to know.” He poked Tal’s cheek before sitting the Water Ghoul between his thighs, holding his hands out for Tal’s, “Give me your hands and I’ll see what goodies I can find hm?” Tal excitedly nodded and held Durrikan’s hands tightly in his own. He smiled at the Water Ghoul, eyes sliding closed before he reopened them, scleras and irises blending together in a deep purple. 

Tal watched him with amazed eyes as he felt the cool caress of the Aether around him. The cold burned up his arms as Durrikan weaved the element closer, gently plucking the fabric before Tal open, intending to see what was ahead of him. The magic rippled over his palms before disappearing into the air, the invisible flood gates opening as Durrikan was assaulted by visions of the future. Any of them could be true and all of them could be false. It was the nature of the Aether. It showed him what it wanted to. It never really cared for what he wanted to see. Burning water and blood. Tal screamed in the woods, black tears running over his face as he dove through the flames, deep into the cool water. It hid him in the depths, corpses of his family never finding him. The Water was home, and it was safe. It protected him until the morning before depositing him down stream, a small bag and charm for him. They would be together. The rain wet his hair as he scrambled among the rocks, chasing the guiding waves of the water. A mate? He couldn’t quite see. Tal trilled in the depths of the cave, holding the other Ghoul close. It was endearing. It wasn’t a Water Ghoul, smoke curling from the nostrils of the other as they headed back inside.

Durrikan carefully stitched Tal’s conscious back together, removing his fingers one at a time from the Water Ghoul’s palms. The ghostly fingers merged back to tough hide and Tal span around quickly in his lap, falling through Durrikan’s legs in his efforts to scramble and find out what he saw.  
“What did you see?” He asked a little shyly, raising his fingers to his chin, finned tail flapping behind him.   
Durrikan ruffled his hair, “A mate bond. You both lived in a cave…but before that you were dancing with the rivers. I think you’ll have a good life Tal, despite what you think about being strange. Someone is going to love you.” He smiled gently down at the Water Ghoul. Tal’s smile was embarrassed, but he launched himself at the Aether Ghoul in a hug anyway, thanking with wild words of praise as he chittered about having a family and a mate. He skipped away with a hug and a kiss. Durrikan laughed softly, returning to his sneaky plan of smoking the pipe he’s hidden in his robes. The toadstool groaned underneath his backside and Durrikan grunted as it flicked him off its top, hitting the ground with a thud. 

The scrying pool had been off bounds for some time. Imbalance brought on by tribal war causing the mirror to shudder and slide along the water in angular, jittering movements. The shattered pieces were cracked in some places and slid ruefully along the surface of the water, fighting against a block with every movement. The Aether tribes had gathered, contemplating how to restore the balance for some time. When the answer hadn’t come they had barred it from use, awaiting the dispute between the Fire and Air Ghouls to be over before attempting to access its knowledge. The skirmishing threw the entire Aether balance away, restricting the abilities of the Aether Ghouls to see and seek. Even their healing was diminished. It was frustrating for them and their caravans when they had nothing to offer in exchange for help, just their limited resources and knowledge. 

Skirmishes lead to tension which bled out after a while. Durrikan was relieved to be able to travel along Fire Ghoul territory once more without being hounded by the feisty Ghouls. Air Ghouls had ruffled one too many feathers it seemed by raiding outer villages and taking kits away. They were a vicious race. A race Durrikan would be glad to never to cross paths with. The atrocities they committed could never be undone in his eyes. Murdering and taking another tribes children. Foul. He thought on it as he walked to the pool. They had been allowed back to the pool, the glass spinning and dancing across the water in harmonious strokes rather than jittering slides. Durrikan was calmed by it, the water falling over the cliff a wonderous noise. As he sat by the edge of the pool, he leaned his head back, glancing up at the cliff edge, shading his eyes so he could watch the water crash over the edge. The spray drifted over his face, making him smile as an internal peace settled over his soul, thoughts quietening in the presence of their connection to the fabric of the universe. 

The tribal leaders were sat off to the side, he could make out the great stone covered horns of the Clan Mother among them. A hookah sat in the middle, smoke curling from the group as they passed the pipe around. There was something soothing in the herbs this time. Durrikan ignored them. He could feel the itch of the nether in the back of his mind, demanding and calling him to come and sit. The mirror shuddered when he pressed his hands into the water, dunking both beneath the surface, watching as his fingers blended with the water, the tips and claws blurring, becoming see through as he flexed his fingers forwards. Stretching them apart he flicked the pieces of mirror across the water, watching them shudder and fit together. A clink sounded and Durrikan slowly drew his hands from the cold water, the mirror following, pulling itself out of the water to face him. Water dripped over its surface before a piece flew towards him. The young Ghoul caught it in his hand and squeezed, letting it cut his palm.

Blood pooled over the surface of the mirror piece before it shot from his hand and connected with its brothers and sisters. The blood rippled and moved over the mirror’s surface before sinking into the middle. The metallic surface rippled and Durrikan held his palms up to the sky, laying them over his knees as his eyes flooded with purple. The Aether called for him and he felt the pull through to the other side. It had something to show him it seemed. Durrikan let the Aether guide him to the event, ghostly unfocused eyes twitching as he was bombard with images of something that was occurring.

A little Fire Ghoul. The little thing was gangly and small, hardly a Fire Ghoul by the standards he had seen. Bruises bloomed over his skin, blood drying in harsh scabs over the wounds from the claws that had grappled him from his mother. The punch that had knocked the little Ghoul unconscious was now but a dull throb. The blows stopped hurting after a while, and the Fire Ghoul looked at his captors with dead blue eyes. Air Ghouls, he could see the bands around their arms and hear the wispy annunciation of their words. The Fire Ghoul growled when the tugged from the from cage, pushing him towards the deeper caves. He had been there before, and beaten, and forced to drink concoctions that tasted of stale blood, salt and herbs. The last one they had given him had made him convulse for an hour, visions of fire and volcanoes racking his vision. The large Air Ghoul spat curses as he wriggled. Durrikan realised the kit was a captive from the outlying villages when the curled tattoo over the teens stomach was exposed.

The little Ghoul’s claws gripped at the stone. The Air Ghoul had enough of his games after that. The bone shattered beneath the hulking Ghoul’s knee. The Fire Ghoul screamed and fell limp, cradling the bone as he was dragged further into the depths. Durrikan watched smoke curl from the little Ghoul’s nostrils. Eyes cracked with black veins as the blue eyes swirled with the colour of molten lava. The Air Ghoul screeched when his hand seared against the Fire Ghoul’s skin. The little Ghoul leaped for him, arm snapping back into place with a click as he shifted with an explosion of steam. The Air Ghoul howled as he was barrelled over by the burning demon. A thick tail cracked over his legs, cutting great gashes as the Fire Ghoul’s burning hide moulded and shifted, like lava curling beneath the crust of a cooled magma. Three pairs of eyes shifted and blinked before a maw opened wide, expelling a gas. It was sweet like dried meat. Durrikan twitched as the little Fire Ghoul howled, sparks flying from his mouth. The gas erupted into flame.

The Air Ghouls caught in the blaze screamed and shifted. They still burned in the Hell Fire and the Fire Ghoul launched himself at them again, claws and teeth shredding their weakened skin, exposing meat and muscle. His jaws clamped tight before he spat acrid flammable saliva at one, more gas and a rake of his claws off the stone set the Ghoul alight. The other took off out of the caves, and the Fire Ghoul gave chase after watching the other burn, eyes melting in it’s shifted skin, Hellfire burning the body to an ashen skeleton. He caught the other Ghoul quickly, fury driving his mind wild. Small horns reared the Air Ghoul off the ground, sending it sliding into a rock. The Air Ghoul’s white eyes burned with anger as it howled. A blast of fire stopped it and the little Ghoul jumped with a snarl, teeth latching around the other’s throat. Blood pooled in his mouth and drove him wild. Durrikan watched the Fire Ghoul tear chunks from the Air Ghoul before the Aether flickered. A great, burning, scaled head turned to look at him. He flinched as a blue eye looked back.

A few of the elders caught him when the vision ended. Worried glances were exchanged before his Clan Mother smoothed his sweaty hair back, instructing them to lay him down in the cool grass.   
“Fire Ghoul…from the Air raiding parties…killed two of them…What does this all mean Mother?” She shushed him before laying a cool crystal over his forehead. Touching it with a claw initiated its calming effects, light bleeding from it and into Durrikan’s forehead. It relieved the pounding.   
“It is showing you destinies child…Soon. It will all be apparent soon. They will call you to the surface soon Aether, and then you will see what plans the Unholy One has for you.”  
Two sets of blue eyes haunted him as he slept. One pair ocean blue and crystal clear, the other pair pale and vicious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tal- Rain (Era 4 Water)
> 
> I hope this was worth the wait! Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated, thank you for reading!


	4. Faith

The threat of whatever his future held was a weight on his shoulders. It followed him like a disease in hell. Somehow used for their tribe’s advantage in any situation. Durrikan let them. It was something to put his mind to. He wondered sometimes on what would become of the Ghouls he had met. They never died. Nor did Ghouls age. It was a strange concept, death, to Ghouls. True death was revered and feared. To witness true death in your life span was to know immense sadness for Ghouls. Durrikan had never seen one of his own so injured that they died. He knew most of them hadn’t. Only his mother had seen a Ghoul die. She had tried to treat an injured Air Ghoul. He was a prisoner to get answers out of, the Fire Ghouls having dragged him from the remnants of a raiding party. A spear had lodged through his lungs and broken off. She couldn’t heal the damage before he was near death, the Air Ghoul having bled out before she had arrived. It was sad, she had said, such an old creature with so much knowledge, forced to die on a stone table, shackled and beaten. They’d delivered his body to the base of the mountain for the Air tribe. They had taken his body in the night.

Durrikan chewed his cheek as he watched the tribe pack the last of their supplies. They had managed to collect a couple of carts on their journeys, the wooden contraptions pulled by large six-eyed and six-legged horses. They snorted and ground their black hooves into the dirt unhappily, shaggy hair pulled back and clipped for the warmer climate in the Earth Ghoul lands. Durrikan moved close to run his hands over his favourite girl’s flank. She shivered under the touch, six eyes rolling to catch sight of him. Shushing the angsty Flail Mount, he searched in his pocket before pulling out a small fruit. He had scavenged it from his own breakfast and gave it to the mount happily. Nickering softly, she pushed his shoulder gently before her large, leathery ears rotated and teeth clicked.  Durrikan followed her gaze, the horizon where the black clouds rolled and churned, burning with the heat of the summer, flames dancing across the dark coloured clouds.

“What are you looking at?” Dark claws curled into the clipped fur, rubbing comfortingly as an uncharacteristic wind whipped around them, dragging Durrikan’s hood up off his back, flapping against the back of his head. His beads flew in the wind, the enchanted runes glowing with purple light as he pulled his hood properly over his head. The runes lit up the inside of his hood, the purple glow stark against black hide as he looked to the clouds, watching them twist and belch great masses of fire. They circled around on another, writhing like snakes before whipping into a frenzy, moving around and around faster than Durrikan could follow. Something like static built up in them as they moved, dust and debris flying and hitting against his cheeks as he watched the clouds pulsate and move around above. They trailed across the sky in a movement of burning amber, spewing great flames. The Flail Mount nickered and whined before throwing her head back to bray loud, the rest of the herd screaming with her as the energy in the air changed, morphing into something that was searching, scanning and looking. They knew it was danger.

The carts clattered as they were thrown backwards, the horses bucking and throwing the attached packaged goods and other belongs into the dirt as they howled to be let free. Durrikan held onto the Mount as tight as he could, leading her gently through her kicking and jumping, letting himself be dragged along as she writhed to be let free and run, stampede with the others away from the danger, flee from it blindly and hope it left them alive. Durrikan wheezed as he inhaled dirt and muck, struggling to hold onto the horse as she bucked and screamed. He let go as he was smashed over the back, a heavy tree branch launching him off his feet. The Aether Ghoul growled and rolled before pushing his claws into the dirt, flipping himself against the wind, ducking his head low as more dirt flew into the air. The clouds churned as he looked above them. The rest of the tribe attempted to get to cover, grabbing their sacks and feeling for ditches. He was caught in the open as something opened in the sky. Durrikan looked over his shoulder, dark woven hood flapping in his face, and peered at the stampeding Flail Mounts, their braids and heavy lashing tails thrashing as they ran.

Purple eyes looked up to the sky, the Aether crackling around him as he deflected the flying debris. He saw the Clan Mother, her great cloak billowing madly in the riptide winds, a great cloud of mysterious cloth in the whipped sand and dirt. Her black eyes glanced at him from across the plain of dirt, an ominous voice whispered over the wind as she opened her mouth, “This is it Durrikan. They have come for you, my dear.” She pointed her sick to the writhing clouds, “This is your destiny. Now you have to embrace it.” Her stick shook in the wind, the crystals flying as she tapped it, once, twice with a sharp toothed smile. He looked into her dark eyes and nodded, claws churning the earth up before he managed to get to his feet, beads slapping him in the face as he looked up to the sky.

A great crackle of energy threw him backwards before the clouds opened. A tug at his form rippled through him. Durrikan clenched his fists, robe rippling as his body cracked and shifted, fighting the pull of another world. His mother screamed from across the plain as she watched him fall onto all fours, horns shaking and hair going stiff as he resisted the pull, body being torn and pulled, cracked and broken. The shift was a painful ripple from the tips of his fingers, down to the ends of his toes. Durrikan howled as he was forced through the shift, collapsing into the dirt as his face cracked and grew into a maw, hide stretching and forming over the face as talons curled into dirt, back rippling, eyes opening and closing over his skin as his body fought the change. Blood burst from one of them and he screamed, opening his glowing eyes. The dirt beneath him shone with runes and something shackled him in place as the clouds swirled above him. Beams of red light burned from above and Aether looked to his tribe, his people, one last time before his back cracked and he screamed at the clouds, red blinding him as he was pulled through the gateway and into another realm.

It was hot. His neck was sweating, droplets of sweat rolling down the back of his robe. He was dressed again, sat in a hot room, in the middle was a burning fire pit. The flames had no fuel. His vision was hazy as he collapsed in front of the fire, hands scooping through the flames. They were not hot, only icily cold, like the touch of river water over his skin. Durrikan placed his hands in the base of the fire pit and cried out in surprise when the flames clutched at his sleeves. Slowly, they crawled up his robe, hissing and popping but emitting no heat as they made their way to his shoulder. The flame hissed and cracked before licking his ear and speaking.  
“The first of your kind were disgraced angels, my creature, fallen from grace, begging for help from me. After they had scorned me and spat on me as I fell.”  Something licked up the back of his neck again, claws curling down his arms as spit dripped over his black, rough skin.

“They begged for my forgiveness, and my help. They were scorned, just as I was. They wanted me back there with them. Our father cast them to be with me, claiming their eyes to see lies, and their souls corrupt…” Ghostly white hands pulled his hood back before playing with the braids in his hair, “So I did to them what he believed was wrong. I gave them the ability to see through lies…the all-seeing gaze, removed their wings and watched the horns twist from their skulls as eyes upon eyes opened on their forms. Perfection Durrikan…my creations. Just as you are.” It was the Devil, come to torment him perhaps, or maybe to congratulate him, he did not know. “I have come to see my flesh creation walk into the world of man. I have plans for you…and those you have seen and met…they will come together in the culmination of things. Perhaps you will never see it, but your contribution, Durrikan, will live on for centuries.” Blood stained fingertips moved back towards the Ghoul’s face, gently stroking the hide and hair as his vision blurred and swam again. His head flopped to the side, the Devil catching it with feather soft hands, cushioning him to the floor as he slipped back into darkness.

Blood. Aether dragged his claws along the stone, rousing from the coma he’d been under, great form sluggish as he opened his eyes, feeling the shiver of the others under his skin as he tried to come around. His jaw ached as he closed his maws, pulling his head up and off the floor, looking around the room. It was a dark and dank sell, the residual scent of rosemary burning in the corners. Pushing himself up, the quintessence ghoul looked around the room before sniffing, nose moving as his pointed ears flicked, skull like face twisting to look over into the corner. A flesh creature. He was hugging his arm, a slice in it leaking blood. The man cried out when his head turned to him, legs shaking as he pushed himself into the corner. Durrikan growled and moved forwards, brain screaming eat and heart screaming stop. He was driven forwards on base instinct before the chain around his neck was apparent. The chain dragged over the stones, rattling. He tugged it. It was loose. The man screamed in the corner as Durrikan launched himself over the stone.

The ghoul’s jaws wrapped around his head, teeth slicing the skin deep, a twist of his head tearing flesh and skin free from the bone. It was followed up with a crunching bite around the man’s neck, ending his life in a snap of vertebrae. The Ghoul drew away and set to work, teeth pulling and tearing, stomach demanding feeding as he guzzled the blood from the neck and claws pulled pieces of meat from the man’s bones. He wasn’t delicious. Delicious was the plains Cariboo they would catch and return to the tribe with. This creature was average, an easy way to satisfy the shift hunger deep in his gut. His flat tail snapped and lashed at the rock around him as he pushed more torn pieces of flesh into his mouth, smooth tongue tasting the irony flavour of blood. He looked into the eyes, glassy and bright green. They were pretty. His palms opened as the eyes of the else peeled awake, blinking and rolling, not seeing the room, but the energies running through it. Carefully, Durrikan pressed his hand to the corpse, the eyes going wide as they fed him information. A church? A church of Satan worship. He was more confused when he pulled himself away, looking and shifting through the information fed to him. Horror set in his gut when he realised. He had just bound himself to the place with the flesh of the realm, but his stomach refused to heave and let him vomit in his shifted form.

The door slammed open a few hours after he had finished. Aether peeled one bright, aubergine coloured eye open, as two attendees shuffled in, habits flying as they raced for the body. The quintessence ghoul kicked his back legs out and launched himself forwards, straight towards the two people. A crack and a snap of the chain dragged him backwards, silver wrapping tight and choking him violently, keeping him away from the two people.  
_“Where is this place?!”_ He screamed in Ghoulish. The noise was a hissing screech, guttural and violent, no syllables to be heard. They shied from him and ran, dragging the mauled body from his room, not understanding the words he spoke. Durrikan flopped against the stone before crying out, testing the distance, seeing if anyone could hear him. He heard nothing. The ghoul pushed himself to his feet before clattering against the walls, using his unnatural size, for an Aether Ghoul, to slam himself against the stone. He hoped the noise would drag someone down. He could free himself and try to go home.

Nothing. He’d launched himself at the walls too many times to count, horns scratched and battered from slamming them around, trying to loosen the walls so he could get free. It only rattled his brains more, made the vicious Ghoul scream more inside him, primal and begging to be let free. The walls were a tight prison that he couldn’t breathe in. The Ghoul inside him screamed to be let out, howling and wailing until he couldn’t do it anymore, collapsing by the wall, skull like snout rested in his paws, looking at the stone as he tried to stop listening to the howling in his head. The beast would take over if he wasn’t careful. He didn’t have much time left in the safety of his full shift before he would lose the control completely. Durrikan sighed and closed his eyes, chest heaving as he tried to get his breath back from the tantrum.

 _“Hey!”_ A voice, muffled through the stone, raspy and tired, _“Will you shut the fuck up?!”_ A loud thump sounded against the stone, making the quintessence ghoul look at the wall with a glare. Scrambling sounded on the other side before a stone shifted in the bottom of the wall, pulling back into the other room next to him. Durrikan laid his neck flat to the stone and peered through the large gap. A dark haired ghoul looked back at him, a messy head of black waves and bright blue eyes. A hum of recognition flowed through him as he gazed at the face of the ghoul in front of him. They were bound in skin like the human he had eaten earlier, and like the two that had taken the body away.  
_“You ate the offering so you’re as god damn stuck here as I am. Now shut up before I get my claws in your nose.”_

He was about the push the stone back into place before Durrikan’s hand paw shot through the gap, _“Where is this? Why are we stuck here?”_ His paw held the stone. The ghoul snorted smoke. A fire ghoul. Black nails curled into his hide and Durrikan growled before relenting.  
_“Earth. The human realm. We don’t belong here…but there is something in the works I think. Something to do with Satan. I don’t know, but I know this is like…some prophecy or some shit.”_ The fire ghoul hummed before gently pushing Durrikan’s paw back. _“You will see. It will be made clear soon.”_  
“Will they trap me in a man-skin too?” He swallowed, fearing the shift through the forms.  
_“Yes…It is the guise we have to wear in this world”_ The stone was shoved back in place and Durrikan whined, curling around himself, hoping they would just come and make him shift already.

They came hours later. He’d fallen asleep to the gentle song from the other room, the fire ghoul humming as he carved something into the stone. Durrikan had loved the song. It reminded him of home and the warmth of the cooking fire. Strong and safe. They slammed the door behind them, at the head of the four people, a man cloaked in black and purple vestments, the upside-down cross of the unholy one embroidered into the plush fabric, a mitre was labelled with the same strange symbol, lined with silver and bright gold. Skull face paint covered his features. He gestured to the rest of the group and they filed out around him, handing him an old tome, the book leather cracked and stitched in places that it shouldn’t have been. Durrikan screeched before the chains were pulled tight around his neck. He didn’t understand the chanting that started, the room dark and stinking of rosemary as he drew closer.

The voices were loud, deafening him, ears flattening to try and quell the humming chanting. Durrikan wailed over the noise, the silver digging and beginning to burn against the sores around his neck, burning and searing the flesh deeper. Purple eyes looked up to the group as he heard the name of Satan whispered quietly in the corners, “Satanas, Satanas, Satanas.” The group chanted around the spell. Durrikan felt his legs crack and give way, flopping onto his side as the bones shifted and began to shorten. His muscles tore free and hung loose before stitching into place as his spine cracked and moved, shifting into a human back, curved and made for standing upright. The ghoul’s talons dropped from his paws as fingers grew and black nails replaced them, palms rubbing against harsh stone as he reached and clawed towards the foot of the robbed man. The teeth in his mouth shifted, and Durrikan raised a shaking hand to his mouth, spitting blood and fangs into his new palms, peachy and human. Sharp teeth still filled the gaps, smaller and more like his between state. He shook and spat more blood onto the floor, stomach twisting, making him gag as he shrunk, insides rearranging to fit the new, glamoured human form.

A ripple of magic washed over him, cracking his joints and kick starting something in him he’d never felt. The power washed over him again and he whimpered in a pile on the floor, fingers rubbed raw from pulling and clawing at the stone. He glanced down to see his pale human flesh, the magic settling over his body, making his hide disappear beneath a guise of humanness. The robed man moved closer, a look of solemn concern on his face as he knelt by the ghoul, gloved hands cupping his face. Blurry images danced in front of Durrikan’s face. His stomach churned unhappily and the man carefully observed his features, moving his lips to see the fangs, peeling his eyelids to see human eyes.

  
“It has worked.” Durrikan whimpered when he was jostled, and the man hushed him softly, wrapping something soft and warm over his form, hiding the naked skin from the attendees’ eyes, _“Hush now my ghoul. You are here for your purpose.”_ A white and a hazel eye came into focus. Durrikan’s eyes rolled again before they focused on the white one and the light it emitted in the dim room, _“Aether. That is your name yes? He spoke about you in my dreams.”_ Durrikan didn’t know who he was, but whoever it was knew his namesake.  
_“Aether…yes.”_ He shivered in the man’s arms.  
_“I am Papa, my ghoul. You are here to join this church, and to join our project. Spreading the word of our unholy father to the people of this earth.”_ An attendee presented a dark robe, long and hooded **.** “Put this on, and I will take you to your room, Aether. I will explain more soon.” A claw curled along his jaw, admiring the soft skin, the dark hair, sideburns and brows. Brown eyes rolled and fluttered before the attendees helped the ghoul to his feet, pulling the robe over him to hide him from the eyes of the clergy.  
_“You are to be nameless to them until you leave, Aether. Your true name is yours and yours alone, never utter it while you are here.”_

They fed him well that night, leaving him locked in his room, bringing plates of food to feed his healing, the silver burns sharp and deep, and his body tired, in need of sustenance from the forced shift. He slept on the floor, face red from the bloodied meats, stomach shifting unhappily as he took the pillow and curled into the dark robe, looking at the moon and feeling more alone than he ever had done in his life. They awoke him in the morning, more food in hand, Papa waltzing in as well, an outfit over his arm and a box in the other. He tutted at the Ghoul laid facing the wall, chest and face covered in blood.  
_“Come Aether, I have your robes. You must look after yourself.”_ He shooed the women from the room, carefully navigating over to the upset Ghoul, speaking his language, soothing and calm.  
_“I don’t want to. I wish to go home…I want to see my family, my people.”_ The room cooled, and energy crackled.  
_“Ey, we will have none of that.”_ Papa crouched next to him, _“I know that it is hard. But he has spoken to you…You know about this. Your destiny yes?”_ How the human knew was strange, but he turned to look back at him, blood stained mouth in a frown, _“Now come. That alone says you knew about this, no more pouting. I will show you how to use the…bathing things.”_ Aether took a deep breath before following him into the other room. He would have to get used to it. He remembered the cold touch of Satan over his cheeks and knew that he had to follow through. There was a higher purpose to this, he knew.

He was presented with a silver glittering mask and knew his anonymous journey had begun. His purpose was to serve this clergy and see what Satan’s plans held for him.

 

“You are the one they call, Aether?” A large ghoul sat by him in their little practice room, blue eyes soft and gentle, the corners wrinkled with crows feet. Aether nodded, coughing softly, playing with the strings of the guitar in his grasp.  
“I am.” He said gently, his voice getting the grasp of the English they had been rapidly teaching him.  
“Papa told me you would be here, and that I should come and help you practice. My name’s Omega. I’m like you, but from another tribe I think.” He smiled and pulled another guitar from the racking, showing Aether his hands, “I think I can teach you quicker than you can teach yourself yes?” He reached his hands for the music.  
“Thank you, Omega…I am a bit lost.” Aether smiled and let the other aether ghoul’s calming presence take over, content to have maybe found one friend in the church. They played the songs late into the night, laughing about their families and their tribal ways until a grumpy fire ghoul, named Alpha he found out, came to collect Omega. They left him to his own devices, and Aether smiled as he practiced, moving through the pieces with grace he didn’t know he had.

 

His fellow band mates were introduced not too long after that. A large Earth Ghoul smiled at him first, twiddling his thumbs as he sat on the couch, silver mask a little too large for his face, tall body pressed into the cushions as two fire ghouls spat at one another in the middle of the room. The large fire ghoul hissed before grappling the little ghoul.  
“What are you going to do about it, matchstick? Huh?!” He laughed and rubbed his mask around, bright blue eyes glittering in contrast to the others, whose were burning with anger. An air ghoul walked in behind him, pressing him into the room with a soft sigh.  
“Will you both stop it? Fire! Dew!” The two fire ghouls looked to the air ghoul and scowled, reluctantly letting one another go. “Earth, will you just split them up next time?” He sat down on the couch as Aether walked further in.  
“So you’re, Aether?” Dewdrop, the little ghoul, moved over to him and sneered before gently shaking his hand.  
“Yeah, he’s the only Aether Ghoul in the room you moron.” Fire moved closer and shook his hand too, something changing in his eyes as they shook hands. Aether felt it too but didn’t say anything as they introduced themselves.

Papa swept inside the practice room moments later, clapping his hands to demand silence from them, “Now my ghouls, that you are all acquainted, let us begin. There isn’t much time before the next tour.”

After practice, Aether waited to put his guitar away, carefully storing the black Fantomen into the case, taking some joy in the care of the instrument. Fire walked over, his own guitar already stored away. The fire ghoul waited for the rest of them to leave before speaking.  
“Take your mask off.” He growled, shouldering close, bright blue eyes glaring at him from behind the silver mask. He held Aether’s shoulders and scowled.  
“What no…We’re not allowed to reveal our faces, not even to one another.” Aether snatched his head back away from the fire ghoul. He gasped as he was launched back into the wall, back pressed into the brick before his mask was snatched upwards, off his face. The fire ghoul’s eyes widened, and Aether growled before slamming his head into his nose, watching blood burst before Ifrit scrambled for his own mask, tugging it up and off his head, revealing a face he hadn’t seen in years.

“Tannim…” Aether gasped, hands shaking before he reached for the fire ghoul’s face. His lips parted before something twisted in his chest. He smiled and laughed before grabbing Tannim, hugging him tight. The fire ghoul returned his hug with a wet laugh.  
“Durrikan!” He held him and span him with strength that was unnatural. They never thought they would see one another. Ifrit put him down and held his face, nose bleeding over his lips and chin still, “You got more piercings…” He pulled the balaclava off, “And your hair…” He whimpered at the mohawk, running his hands through the hair before moving to try and kiss Aether.  
“Hey no, you’re covered in blood. Satanas, Tannim. I never thought I’d see you again.” The fire ghoul licked at the blood, looking at the bracelet he had kept.  
“Me neither, Durrikan…Satan’s asscrack. Fuck.” He hugged him again before pulling away, “Come on. You have to catch me up…heal my nose maybe?” Ifrit laughed and pulled him from the room, a flood of words tumbling from his lips as they replaced their masks and headed back to Ifrit’s room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See me over on knoife-ghoul on tumblr!  
> Thank you all for waiting, maybe I can now start and take this story somewhere?  
> Kudos and comments are all greatly appreciated!


	5. Mysteries

“Hey, big guy, how you coping?” Aether looked up from his book and held Fire’s gaze, hoping the fact that he was struggling wasn’t too obvious. Fire was dressed in their robes, cassock still open at the top, always one to push the rules as much as he could. The Sister would have his hide for being even slightly incorrectly dressed. He was just lucky she wasn’t here with them both. Aether smiled at Fire beneath his mask, hoping the wrinkled skin around his eyes portrayed it enough. He wasn’t used to the lack of expression the thick, heavy metal gave them.   
“I’m alright. Just…reading.” He looked back at the words and was instantly tripped up, tugging at his ear lobe as he tried to puzzle out the English word. The quintessence ghoul would never admit to having problems trying to read. He grasped speaking so quickly and easily that this was embarrassing, stuck on teen books while the rest of the band were grasping the language so easily. He angrily closed the pages and placed the book down.  
“If you’re having trouble trying to read, Aeth, you could just have asked me?” Fire smirked, leaned against their bunks, watching Aether squirm on the couch.

“I’m fine.” He muttered and laid over the cushions, legs up and placed together to stop him from falling off. Fire walked over and snatched his book, scooting Aether’s legs off the couch so he could sit.   
“No you’re not. I know you’re struggling, so just let me help, yeah?” Fire opened the book and held it out to the larger Ghoul, fingers peeling the pages apart. It was just a simple word, but it was enough to completely upset Aether. “Just read it to me. There’s no one here to listen or make fun of you, not that anyone would…not with me here.” Fire looked around the bus before pushing his mask off and reaching to pluck Aether’s away.   
“Fire! We’re not…”   
“Fire we’re not allowed!” Fire mocked, little flames licking in the bright blue of his human irises.   
“You’re such an arsehole.” Aether grumped before taking the book back, frowning at the words, braids and mohawk a mess. He looked at the Fire Ghoul before sitting up. Biting his lip, he shuffled closer and coughed, hiding his face in the pages of the book. The first few words were hard before he picked up the flow, Fire gently correcting the ones he messed up, listening to the gentle lilt of the accent the aether ghoul had managed to pick up.

“That word is pomegranate, Aeth.”  
“Shut the fuck up… I knew that.”  
“Sure you did buddy, sure you did.”

 The first show was nerve wracking, all of them never having ever done a thing like it. Sure, Aether had read palms and futures in front of great gatherings of Ghouls, but playing a guitar was something he had only just learned. Readings came easy to him, predicting the future was reflex, but playing the satanic rites of the church for audiences of thousands? He had never done it before. There was a resounding nervous energy between them all. Dewdrop was fiddling with his bass, tuning, twisting the pegs slowly, listening to the soft hum of the bass in his ears. Air was handing his keytar up to the stage staff while Earth tapped along his legs before beginning to warm his arms with rapid drumming with his sticks on his thighs. Aether watched Fire strap on his guitar, adjusting the strap before he gestured to Aether’s own slick black guitar. The quintessence ghoul picked up his own guitar and slackened his guitar strap before tuning the instrument and sighing shakily. His mask muffled the noise but Dewdrop still looked up, tail flicking around behind him.

“Why are you sighing, huh? This is our first show together, Aeth. The crowd is already screaming.” He looked at him with icy eyes he thought he had seen before, “They’re so excited to hear us!” Dewdrop’s tail flicked before wriggling wildly, moving in and out of his cassock before he chewed his thumb nail and tucked it back down his trousers.   
Aether blushed, nervous and embarrassed, “I’ve never done this, and I know, none of us have, but its scary. I don’t want to mess it up for everyone.” He sighed again, fiddling with the plectrums in his pocket as Dewdrop shook his head.  
“The more you think about it, the more likely it is to happen.” Dewdrop hummed and stood up, little stature funny next to the quintessence ghoul. Aether grumbled and began to hop, trying to burn off the nervous energy before Fire called them all over. They gathered around, Papa waving to go to his place at the back.  
“Now. Let’s do it.” Fire’s eyes crinkled with a smile, and the rest of them nodded, climbing onto the dark stage as the chanting drew to a close.

Aether could hear his heartbeat in his ears, the thumping loud with the gushing of blood around his head. The crowd roared when they played, the riffs deafeningly loud as he jumped and ran along the stage. He made eye contact with Dewdrop and Fire before the three of them fell into line, peering over at one another’s guitars, Aether watching Dewdrop play dramatically before jolting his head down to see Fire hop side to side.   
“Zombie Queen.” The third sang as they lined up, guitars together before the tore the riffs, necks moving up into the air, heads back. The three of them jumped before separating again to run across the stage and hype the fans, plectrums thrashing strings as Zombie Queen drew to a close. Monstrance Clock made him throw his head back, strumming gently before throwing a plectrum to a crowd favourite, pointing at the girl before fishing another out and finishing. The disappeared in the black-out, the chanting continuing as the crowd roared and cheered. The three of them wrangled each other together in a hug and laughed, breathing hard in the euphoria of their first performance.

The euphoria was short-lived. Their break was something like a holy grace, however close it was they could get to that considering their damned souls. Aether had collapsed onto his bed the first night, and unpacked the next afternoon, throwing his uniforms and the pitiful amount of normal clothes they were allowed, into his labelled hamper, even going as far as to haul the groups’ washing hampers down to the utility rooms for the sisters. They giggled and eyed him as he did. He was somewhat used to the attention; the tour having desensitised him to most of the comments. Their mild comments of his strength paled in comparison to most of the lewd things he’d witnessed on tour. One being the number of bras thrown at them, and the second the filthy things that people shouted, never mind the Third’s terrible fingering motions, or dick stroking.

Aether collapsed on his bed for the fifth time, looking at his ceiling, mask in place as he looked at the plain paint slapped over another colour. He sighed softly before reaching for his face. The mask was supposed to be in place all the time. The Ghoul pulled it upwards timidly, peering around with unblocked vision for once. His balaclava came off soon after and he tossed the two things onto his bed, looking at the dull matt silver of the mask. A strange thing to be forced into. Papa had explained it to him, Nihil opening and old book and reading the group of them the section about their masks. It was to do with their faces. The demonic visage was more than most humans could resist, and the last thing the clergy wanted was attachments to their disposable talent. Aether had called him a liar, looking at the brothers and sisters who went to confessional, hoping for one of them to be there so they could spout their most sinful desires off. He stretched out, untucking his cassock before sitting up and looking in the mirror.

The human skin still shocked him. Aether pressed his fingers underneath his eyes and tilted his head, curious at the bags underneath them. A small lack of sleep and suddenly he appeared gaunt and exhausted. He wasn’t used to being able to see visible signs of exhaustion. It was very…human. Aether ran his fingers upwards, over the hair on the sides of his face and up to the hair on top of his head. The mohawk was flat to his head, the hair wavy. His fingers brushed against the sides of his head, running them along the hair that had started to grow back along side the careful mohawk. Even the braids in his hair were a mess, pieces of hair sticking out at funny angles and tangled around the beads in his hair. He was glad they hadn’t stripped them from him. His fingers clasped one, twirling it gently. Frowning, Aether looked at himself hard, the brown eyes and dark hair. He felt a ripple, focusing on the other form he knew he had. Pain flared in his temple. It was locked away, out of his reach, hidden behind a wall. His contract with the church was probably the cause. It hurt to try and shift. He managed his hands, claws curling into the meat of his hand before snapping back into a human glamour.

Aether’s ears rang. He looked back to the mirror and scowled. The mirror rippled. He blinked and rubbed at his eyes, thinking that exhaustion was just Aether’s ears rang. He looked back to the mirror and scowled. The mirror rippled. He blinked and rubbed at his eyes, thinking that exhaustion was just playing tricks on his eyes. The silver rippled again, and he watched as it moved like water within its frame, swirling like liquid metal before he reached a hand out to touch it. His claws tapped against the glass. It wasn’t what usually happened. He focused harder, tapping his fingers against the glass before slowly they melted through the barrier. The liquid mirror curled around his fingers in little currents. Breathing gently, Aether held his hand in the mirror, watching before something cold slipped into his hand. He jumped, jolting backwards, snatching his hand back, but the cold hand on the other end held tighter. He hoped it wasn’t the dead.

 

“Fuck…please don’t be the dead. I’ve had enough of the dead. I don’t need dead people giving me their problems again.” He muttered softly as the cold hand twisted his.   
“The dead? Are you deaf my stupid student?” His hand slid free before the mirror rippled and something connected him to the other side of it. The crones face appeared in the mirror, lines of age showing on her face, the perfect braided hair down the centre of her head. Her horns were still decorated with the trinkets of thousands of years and her pipe was in her mouth. She squinted at him and his state of disarray before swallowing, her bright purple eyes shifting to the side.

There was something she wasn’t telling him.

“Mother… What’s wrong?” He swallowed at the look on her face. She sighed but he couldn’t hear it. “What’s happened?” He pressed his hands to either side of the mirror, face concerned, human skin wrinkling around his eyes.  
“My student…It. You have been gone for a long time, time moves so much faster down here.” She pressed her hand to the glass, “You have been in the human world months, but years have passed here.” She smiled sadly when he pressed his hand to hers through the mirror.  
“Tell me…please. What’s happened?” He begged quietly, teeth clenched.  
Ethereal purple eyes looked at him, her hide smooth like black silk as she spoke, “Durrikan… your ties to this tribe are gone.” She looked at him, hiding her face with a plume of smoke from her pipe, “Your mother is dead…and your father…” The Clan Mother sighed, “Your father has sadness sickness. There are diverters. We are hounded by angels. Hell is in ruins my child.” She rubbed at her temples, “I will contact you again…” He heard screeching.  
“Mother, no please, tell me!” The mirror rattled when he pounded his hands against the wall.  
“No time. Good luck my student. Be safe.”

Aether shook. He thumped the wall violently hard as the mirror froze again, solid and reflective. The Ghoul shuddered as an attempt to shift peeled through him. It failed and he cried out when only his arms half shifted. Claws scraped along the walls, peeling little curls of paint off them before he pushed away. His own face looked back at him, shifted, purple eyes glowing before he took a deep breath and focused back on his human appearance. His peachy coloured skin returned with the dark contrast of his hair in this form. Dark coloured hair was wild, pieces flying everywhere as he made towards his little on suite bathroom. He threw his little toiletries to the side and scowled before finding his scissors and clippers. They whirred when he flicked them on, and the quintessence ghoul shook. He placed the items to the side and sniffed, hands clasping the sides of his bathroom sink, pale with how hard he was squeezing the ceramic. Aether looked in his mirror again and then to the black inky trails dripping over his cheeks. He was crying.

They’d disowned him? The entire tribe was in ruins.

The shaver whirred and churned in his grasp again. He flicked it off and clutched the scissors. His hands shook before he grabbed a braid. Snap. He cut it free and watched the hair come away from his head. The Ghoul tucked the braid to one side and repeated it with the rest, cutting close to his head, but saving them. He still wanted his beads. He looked odd with the tufts of hair where his braids had been. With a shaky sigh, Aether reached for the clippers and turned them on. They were deafeningly loud as he reached upwards, towards his own hair. Hair fell away into the sink as he shaved the mohawk away, tears still dripping over his cheeks and nose. With most of it gone, he ran his hands along the soft skin, looking at the metal in his face and deciding to leave the piercings in place along with the sideburns on his face. He felt strange as he looked at his proud hair littering the bathroom. Aether gathered as much as he could into his hands and threw it into the tiny litter bin. He rescued his braids and carried them back into his room, looking at himself in the other mirror, smiling, broken and beaten. He opened a box, tucking the braids inside before curling on his bed, tiredly drifting off on top of the sheets.

A twist of his door knob jolted the Ghoul awake on top of his bed. He had tucked his covers up and through his arms, cuddling it like a kit would its teddy. Aether’s tail coiled and snapped as he tucked himself in on himself, appearing smaller in his curled-up state. He sniffed and relaxed when a familiar smell and two ghouls came through his door. Fire, followed by the enigma that was Dewdrop. Aether still didn’t understand why they couldn’t have summoned a full-fledged water ghoul for the position, but Dew seemed to have no complaints, stomping up to both him and Fire during their performances. He’d played along, watching icy eyes stare at him, probably a typical fire ghoul smirk under the mask, yet Dew was still a mystery to him. Fire was the same as ever. They had grown closer during their time here, finally able to talk and spend time together. Dewdrop filed in as Fire shut the door.

“So why didn’t you show up to practice?” Dewdrop spat, not too kindly, tail thrashing behind him as he questioned the large quintessence ghoul moping on his bed. Aether bristled at the question and looked over his shoulder with a scowl before Fire interjected.   
“Hey. Cut it out Dew.” He pressed the other, smaller fire ghoul backwards, away from the curled form of Aether, “Aether? Are you going to explain…because the hole in your wall says it was something bad enough to make you… Shit.” He looked at Aether’s head and scowled. Calloused human fingers gently pressed to Aether’s head. The hair was short and fuzzy and Fire frowned as he ran his fingers over where the Ghoul’s tribal mohawk and beads were. He looked over Aether’s form and spotted the braids, clutched in the quintessence ghoul’s hands, tight, his knuckles turning white with the pressure. Fire looked at him with more worry.

“Aeth…Why did you?” The fire ghoul moved around the side of the bed and knelt, reaching of the braids clutched in Aether’s hand. “What happened?” He placed his hand over Aether’s and gently pressed the fingers apart. The little fire ghoul with him scoffed before leaning over and seeing the handful of hair, worry now furrowing his eyebrows underneath his mask.  
“Why would you…” Dewdrop took a moment to think before he crossed his arms, tail thumping against his leg, “Fire. He’s cut off from his tribe. He’s renounced his ties.” The little fire ghoul walked over as well, icy eyes looking down at the hand full of hair.   
“What do you mean? You renounced them, Aeth?” Fire’s brow furrowed. “They’re…They’re your family! You love them. Why would you do that?” He was confused. Aether had spent hours talking about returning home to his tribe and picking up where he left of…having a family. It didn’t make sense to throw that all away.

Aether’s tail thrashed before he violently sat up, sharp teeth clenched, “Shut up! Just shut your fucking mouth!” He felt pain when he watched his childhood friend back away in a defensive stance, palms up in a non-threatening gesture. He wiped at his face before finally letting go of his braids, watching them fall onto his bed. His fingers twitched before he methodically began to remove the beads. He’d taken them out of the box after a few hours, sad and lamenting, truly broken by the exchange.   
“My tribe…” He swallowed, “They’ve disowned me. Shits gone backwards. Angels are killing Ghouls and my own parents…My mother is g-gone. My father…” He tossed the empty braids at the wall, “My father has sadness sickness Tannim!” He gasped sharply at the use of their real names, slapping a hand over his mouth as tears dripped down his cheeks. Dew was suddenly uncomfortable, feeling as though he was witnessing an intimacy that he shouldn’t be a part of. He shifted as Aether continued, “There’s nothing left for me…unless I can…Unless I can do His will. Then I can be done here and-and go home.” He finished, holding the beads close to his chest.  

Fire watched with bright sad eyes as Aether broke down. He wasn’t used to the large, proud Aether Ghoul being so vulnerable in front of him. Aether was the rock of them all. Content and calm. Stable. It was horrible seeing him so broken. Carefully, he wrapped his arm around Aether, shushing and cooing in soft Ghoulish, knowing it would make him feel somewhat better to hear their native language. Dew hesitated before taking a breath and sliding onto the bed, taking up Aether’s other side. His fingers twitched before he gently smoothed them over the other ghoul’s face, trying to help Fire calm him down. There was anger. It was there but he as too broken to take it and use it. Dewdrop petted his forehead before speaking.  
“It is alright to be upset. These things are hard, Aether, but you know what you must do. If the dark lord wills it, it shall be.” He pressed his masked cheek to his shoulder before pulling him back onto the bed, the two Fire Ghouls comforting him with heat and closeness, “It is horrible, but you will heal, just like you heal us up after we fight.” He joked gently, curious fingers delighted with the privilege to map the quintessence ghoul’s unmasked face.

Fire moved in closer, fingers reaching to pull his mask off. Aether looked at the face of the ghoul he had known for so long and smiled. It was familiar and warm. The bright, deep blue eyes and the wild mess of frizzy dark hair, a handsome jaw line and a soft nose. Yes, Tannim hadn’t aged since their days by the lava pool. It was something amazing. Dewdrop’s cold masked face was still pressed to his shoulder and quintessence ghoul turned his head.  
“You can take it off…if you’d like, Dew.” He smiled sadly, “You don’t have to if you don’t want.” He quietened and smiled when Dew took a breath and reached for his mask, gently easing it off his face. Aether looked at the icy eyes before being met with an angular face, everything thin and pointy. Dew shook out his hair before sticking his tongue out in a yawn, burying it away in his shoulder. Recognition shot through him, but he didn’t say anything as the bolt of the memory shot through him.  
“It’s okay Aeth…It’ll be okay.” Fire soothed next to him and the two Fire Ghoul’s held him tight, petting and soothing him into a quiet sleep.

 

He quickly got used to the smooth skin of his head, and the soft stubble of hair that he often let grow out before remembering to shave it again. It was easier. No braid tangling and no styling to get his human hair to stand up. Aether knocked on Dewdrop’s door with a soft breath of air, fiddling with the edge of his cassock, looking at the highlighted symbol of Aether on his chest, hearing nothing but silence on the other side of the wood. Dewdrop had claimed to have hurt his arm in their last show and he was worried when they hadn’t seem him for a couple of days on their break. There wasn’t a reply. Nor was there one after the sixth time knocking. He knew the gremlin was inside. He could sense his energies. Aether sighed in frustration and knocked as he opened the door, going inside despite not having permission. The ghoul entered before he was set in stone by fiery ice blue eyes. His own dark eyes roved over the pale skin of the little ghoul’s back. There were deep set lines of scars, the flesh puckered slightly and stark even against his pale skin. What shocked him most was the chunk out of the base of his tail, and the long scar over the back of his elbow, as though the bone had burst through the skin once upon a time.

Dewdrop’s tail thrashed before he snapped around and slammed Aether against his bedroom door, claws poised over the quintessence ghoul’s throat as a ripple of a shift washed over him. None of them could manage much, but the short horns and claws were enough to make him swallow, fingers playing with the else, calling forth his element should he need it. Dewdrop growled at him, studying his wide eyes set in the silver mask.  
“I didn’t say you could come in.” Suddenly there was a flash of metal. A knife.  
“How the fuck do you have a knife?” Aether said before he swallowed, the cold blade pressed against his throat, “I know…but you’ve been locked in here for three days, Dew. Ow fuck…” The blade nicked his skin, a slice torn through the material of the balaclava as he tried to explain himself, “We were worried that’s all, and I knew you were in here but just ignoring me.” He felt the knife ease away from his throat and gently pulled Dewdrop’s wrist, easing the knife the rest of the way back from his throat.

The contact of skin on skin made him gasp after a moment, the assault of a memory hitting him like a train wreck, slamming full force into his brain. Dewdrop growled when he slumped and held onto his thin shoulders, trying to push him back upright before concern pulled his eyebrows down. Aether watched as the memory curled in him. The little fire ghoul trapped in the Air Tribe’s caves. The screaming as he was fed potions of blood and salt, tortured and hurt, beaten and bruised. He reached for Dewdrop’s cheeks as he watched the Air Ghoul snap the little teen’s arm, the bone slicing through the back of his elbow.  
“Langa…” He whispered before slumping forwards a little, catching his own feet. Dewdrop went rigid before violently shoving the quintessence ghoul away from him.

“How did you know that name?!” He spat, scarred tail thrashing wildly before Aether managed to grab him, stopping the Fire Ghoul from throwing him against the wall again.  
“I didn’t! But I know you! I promise, it’ll make sense just sit!” Aether begged before he managed to grapple Dewdrop’s arms enough to push him away, “Look…I can sometimes see things, alright? You know, like those prophecies. It just reminded me of something.” He carefully sat and made room for Dewdrop on the bed. The fire ghoul didn’t sit, instead taking to glaring at him from across the room, leaned against the wall, a thick inked tattoo of his tribe over his stomach.  
“As a kit you were taken from your tribe in the Air Ghoul raids. They fed you potions, things that tasted of blood, dirt and salt. They tortured you but you got away. I watched you get away. One broke your arm. You turned into something like a dragon almost, breathing fire. You roasted them alive and tore out the throat of the other. A few times…I swore you could see me…even though it was just a vision of something, a glimpse into another’s life. Your name was just whispered to me.” He swallowed when Dew twirled the knife between his fingers, the enchanted silver glinting dangerously.

“That doesn’t make sense.” Dew threw the knife on top of his chest of drawers, “But I’m listening. You quintessence ghouls have a few weird things like that.” He sat next to Aether and hesitated before taking one of his hands, their fingers pressed together as he watched. Nothing.  
“I’m not bullshitting you. Its real. It’s the one thing I’ve always been able to do.” He took a deep breath.  
“I believe you…Don’t worry.” Dewdrop whispered quietly, his hands warm in comparison to the large aether ghoul’s.   
“My name is Durrikan.” Aether whispered before pulling his own mask off, revealing the face he’d already accidentally shown to the little fire ghoul. He pulled the balaclava off and smiled with white teeth, a few a little too sharp for a human and a little crooked. Dew felt his breath catch in his throat.  
“Nice to meet you, Durrikan. I’m Langa.” His smile was small before Aether drew him in for a hug, laughing brightly, smoothing his fingers over the scars on his back. Before he could protest, he felt the whirl of something through him. Cold ice crept through his muscles before he felt the aches and scars merge and disappear.

“What did you do?” Dewdrop looked over his shoulder, long hair flying as he stood and turned. He was healed. Aether smiled wearily before letting out a great puff of air and flopping backwards. Shaky hands waved before the ghoul gave him a thumbs up.  
“Just healed ‘em…gave your back a revamp. Healed what I could of the muscles. Your arm is a bit unsavable though. I’m guessing the brake is what give you the pain in it from playing yeah?” Dewdrop only nodded at him before grumbling and going back to the bed.  
“Get up you lug. You need food now.” He tugged his cassock back on and reached for his own mask and balaclava, hiding his thin face away again. Dewdrop smiled under his mask, “Thank you, Durrikan…It means a lot for you to care.” He turned around then and smacked at Aether’s legs with his tail, “Come on. Get up! I want food too!” Aether took the thanks to heart before laughing and getting up, following the fire ghoul shakily out of his room, happy at the idea of the secret snack they shouldn’t be eating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A long time coming but here it is.  
> Names:   
> Tannim = Fire (Ifrit)  
> Langa = Dewdrop  
> Durrikan = Aether
> 
> My blog is still knoife-ghoul over on tumblr if anyone wants to chat! Thanks for reading as we move into the real meat of the plot now.


	6. A Bloodied Hand

Their group room was small yet comfortable. The five of them fit easily onto the two couches in the room yet they were all still stumped by the television that Papa had given them. Air tapped the remoted controller with confusion, the large Earth Ghoul next to him humming and poking the glass screen, cringing away at the breakable noise it made. Static whined across the screen, white and black fuzziness that made them all cringe and rub at their heads. Eventually, Fire stood up with a snort of smoke, beating the top of the old box until something fuzzed over the screen.   
“Wait!” Mountain, as they called their large Earth Ghoul now, held his hands out and pointed to the antennae on top of the television. Aether tilted his head at the contraption as Mountain flailed his arms again, a flicker of an image coming to life across the screen. “There it was again! Tilt those metal things around again!” Fire’s eyes widened through his mask as he looked at the picture and tilted the metal around.

“LOOK! AIR DID YOU SEE IT?!” Mountain was a little louder than he intended to be and sheepishly looked down at his thighs before looking at the fuzzy image again, “Twist the left one a little more…The right back…Almost! Okay just move the left one out towards me again.” Mountain slapped his thighs excitedly when the image came into focus. It was only a news channel, but they all leaned forwards a little as the woman linked her fingers and began to roll off the headlines for the day. They had all been given the day off to do as they pleased, Papa encouraging a little bit of bonding time between the lot of them with something like a conspiratol glance. They all, instead, sat down to figure out how to work their latest present from the man. They watched in wonder as Air clicked the remote, a new program coming onto the screen. This one was a car chase of some kind, the cars screeching and random explosions going off around them as guns fired and a spy vaulted from a building and onto one of the cars.

“If there something a little less…” Dewdrop stretched his arms up above himself and grumbled, “Fictional? Maybe something with fewer explosions, and more blood?” He smirked at the Air Ghoul holding the controller, who only gave him a scowl in return.  
“Maybe when you’re big enough to come and take it from me, you can chose what we watch.” Air teased, his fingers wiggling in the air before the Fire Ghoul launched himself over the table in a blur of motion, snatching the remoted before seating himself over the Air Ghoul. Air grunted and grumbled from his place squashed into the pillows but was far too calm to egg the little ghoul on any further. Anymore words would likely result in his face being thumped by a fist. He crossed his arms and glared before Dewdrop moved back to his sofa with the remote in hand.

“Now, I think we should watch…” Dewdrop’s thumb moved over the channel buttons before he clicked one and watched it change to a documentary. Medieval torture. Just his thing. He grinned underneath his mask and slumped into the sofa, dangling the remote between two fingers. Fire rolled his eyes and leaned over Aether’s lap. He snatched the remote from the littler ghoul’s hands and watched as Dewdrop growled and snatched at the air, trying to get it back. Another channel lead to an animated film of some sort, and Fire promptly tucked the remote down his side of the cushion, away from the growling ghoul across Aether’s lap.   
“Well I think we should watch this. No everyone has your gory tastes, Dew.” Fire looked at the other ghoul with a little disdain before he shifted a little. He rested himself against Aether’s side, feeling the burning gaze of the little fire ghoul on the end of the seat.

****

The shows were back to back for a long time, it seemed, touring the USA with show after show on night after night, the only sleep that they were getting the brief time on the bus before they made it to the next show venue. Aether held dear the precious hours of sleep he did manage to get on the bus between the shows, uninterrupted usually due to the others all being as equally tired. It wasn’t much when they stopped the next day at midday and began the whole process again in the new venue. Setting up, sound checks, backdrop and grouping. It was tiring but he found the more and more shows they did together, the more rewarding and good it felt. The nervousness was gone, melted away into something that was like joy when he was performing.

They came off stage like usual, filing off with their guitars and handing them to the techies for maintenance, and to be put away in their touring cases. Aether felt light and full of energy, yet exhausted and lethargic, all at the same time. It swirled inside of him and made him feel restless and uneasy. Reaching the bottom of the stairs he watched the techie move to put the guitar inside its case, fiddling with the strings and the tuning pegs before he placed it away. None of these humans had any actual inkling of what they were. Aether jumped when a pair of hands landed on his shoulders. A hot breath wafted over his neck under a hot mask and through the nose of it.   
“Did you miss me?” Fire purred softly behind him. Something was wrong here, and his senses screamed it, making him duck a little to shrug the fire ghoul’s hands off his shoulders.   
“You were gone two minutes and only so you could go piss, you drama queen.” Aether patted Fire’s back with a soft chuckle.

As he moved away, he felt Fire’s hand grasp at his sleeve. The shorter ghoul moved him forwards, hands dragging him by the uniform towards himself.  
“Aeth…I just wanted to say…” The bright blue, ocean deep eyes, that he had grown to love in many ways, were troubled and dark. A storm brewed in them. “Fuck. Look. I don’t think you should be giving Dewdrop so much of your attention.” His fingers trailed down over the sleeves of Aether’s cassock before searching his left wrist for the bracelet he had given him so many years ago. His fingers twisted into the heavy steal chain-link.   
“What do you mean?” Aether tilted his head, still breathing heavily from the show, feeling sticky with sweat now he was offstage.    
Fire snorted, “I mean that he’s not as great as you seem to think…and I don’t like you both being close.”

Jealousy. That laced every single word that came out of Fire’s mouth. Aether looked over his shoulder before pushing Fire back towards the shadows of the curtains and electrics for the speakers.  
“You’re jealous, aren’t you?” He hummed, speaking by Fire’s ear in the mask as the smaller ghoul grunted softly.   
“I am.” He didn’t deny the fact, but instead leaned up to push Aether’s mask askew a little. He revealed the sweat streaked greasepaint and smiled, revealing the white teeth as he moved his own mask. Fire pushed forwards to press a kiss to Aether’s lips, enjoying the soft noise the quintessence ghoul made as he pressed the two of them closer together.

They pulled away after a heated kiss and Aether smiled as he gently reached to pull his mask backdown after. Fire’s hands fell from it with a look of almost hurt.  
“Hey, you know if we get caught back here, we’ll be skinned alive.” Aether touched Fire’s chin softly with his thumb and pointer finger, paint smudging between his fingers as he pulled away.   
“Listen to me, Durr.” Fire cupped the cheeks of Aether’s mask, watching the ghoul visibly bristle.  
“You know not to use that name…” His eyebrows furrowed, his dark eyes glazed with worry.  
“I know…But I need you to listen.” Fire pulled his head close, resting their foreheads together, “I love you like no one else. I just…I don’t want him to take you from me, yeah?” Thumbs touched the corners of Aether’s eyes as he gazed into the dark eyes in front of him.  
Aether smiled, his eyes softening, “All of this because your jealous?” He laughed softly, “I love you too. I don’t know how much yet, but I do love you.”

His heart swelled softly when Fire’s hands tugged his mask again, moving the metal for a quick kiss before a techie found the two of them.   
Aether pressed their heads together again before tugging Fire out of the shadows of the stage, “I’ll show you just how much I love you soon, I promise.”  
Fire snatched his backside in hand, palms roughly groping the plush muscle. He disliked the cassock for that reason as well. He knew the Aether Ghoul’s chest was a sight, when it wasn’t wrapped in an unflattering cassock and belt.   
“I’ll show you, Aeth, because I’m going to have that beautiful arse of yours up in the air.” Fire grumbled before Aether shoved his face away, walking away to go and find the others in the dressing room of the venue, laughing when Fire joined him after the rough shove.

 

The dressing rooms were quiet. The two ghouls looked around the room and noted that the trunks for costumes and Papa’s makeup on the vanity had been removed. It seemed everyone had packed up without the two of them. Aether felt the smirk on Fire’s face but pushed him away again gently before looking out into the hall. A familiar pair of ice blue eyes turned to look at him. In a half shadow, Dewdrop was leaned against the wall, flicking a multi-tool’s little tools out, back and forth, with tiny movements of his fingers.   
“It took you both long enough to catch up.” He grumbled, pocketing the utility tool as he walked over on long legs, despite his small stature. “Papa told me to wait for the two of you. Said you’d both be ‘fucking like rabbits behind the stage’ or something like that. I wasn’t really listening.” He observed their perfectly pressed outfits still and shrugged, “Seems like he was wrong.”   
“I think I can control myself well enough not to fuck Aether somewhere where we might get seen unmasked, despite what you seem to think, Dew.” Fire crossed his arms, defensive and bull-headed.  
“Oh yeah, really, so why were you feeling his ass up in there then?”

The fury that lit Fire’s eyes up made Aether move between the two of the spritely fire ghouls, placing his body between the two of them.   
“Hey. Pack it in the two of you, yeah? You can sort this stupid dick measuring thing when we’re back home. Not on tour. We have to get along for another two weeks still.” A dark look towards the both of them and a firm push apart left the two ghouls visibly scolding, heads drooping over a little before they shrugged at one another and followed the quintessence ghoul back towards the exit. They had hotel rooms for a few of the venues, and Aether hoped that would mean he would have time to quell the jealousy flaring between the two of them.

 

The shows they had left passed uneventfully, apart from a few fans cornering the group of ghouls as they walked out of the venue. They were cleaned up and firmly in human glamours, so it wasn’t much of a problem, but Papa still lectured them after. Aether was, once again, glad to be back in his own bed, curled under the covers, clutching a clear crystal of quartz to his chest as he looked at his little chest, still full of the beads and stones he had removed from his hair. The ghoul rubbed his thumb over the sharp side of the quartz, thinking on what he should do to occupy the time of his next couple of days of freedom. They had been brought back in time to witness the marvel of the Blood Moon, and he wondered just what sorts of energies he could capture with crystals from it. Surely power? But maybe it was a bad idea. He didn’t know yet. Papa had mentioned briefly that they wouldn’t be allowed out of their chambers, the little rooms to be locked to prevent something. He didn’t know what, but the churning in his gut was an ominous omen.

Aether jumped as his phone on his night stand span with a vibration, signalling he’d gotten a text message. Look at the device, he reached for it and squinted at the screen as he unlocked it. It was a text from Fire.  
“I’ll see you later to keep that promise I made. Get some sleep babe, you’re going to need it xo”   
Aether shook his head at the message, “Ok. But you know we’re forbidden to leave our rooms tonight yeah? X”  
It only took a moment for Fire to reply, “Who cares. I can get there. Papa never said why. Plus I have a surprise lined up for you xo ;)”   
“A surprise? X” He typed back curiously, but only got a ‘you’ll see’ in response, then lots of aubergine emojis. Aether hoped he hadn’t tried to mould his dick or something. He’d seen one too many horror stories about those things.

A knock on his door sounded later in the evening, nowhere near close to the sun going down. Aether stirred from his bed grumpily, opening one eye and spotting the crystal still in his sheets. With a yawn, he placed the clear quartz to the side and stretched before twisting his legs out of bed.  
“Aeth…Its Fire, open up please sweetheart.” Aether’s heart jumped a little at the voice, and he smiled sleepily before reaching for his doorknob. It was locked. The lock jiggled and he muttered.  
“It’s locked Fire…I can’t…”   
“Its okay! There’s a window!” He heard the windows open. What idiot hadn’t thought about locking those? Aether hustled over to his window to let the Fire Ghoul in. Undoing the latch, Aether swung the panels of glass open and watched Fire crawl out the window in the hallway. Partially shifted claws curled into the stone as he hung over the ledge and flexed his shoulders, flicking himself along and gripping at the stone with his clawed hands and feet. He’d taken his shoes off as well? Aether beckoned him over, checking the little path below them to make sure no one would see Fire trying to break into his room. It was as silent as the dead. Not a soul to be seen.

Fire grunted as he leaped again, claws pulling chunks of brick free from the wall as he slid a little, dust dropping down and gathering under the nails. He shook his head and grinned before leaping one last time and grabbing onto the little widow ledge beneath Aether’s window. The Fire Ghoul pulled himself up on the ledge with a grunt and Aether reached for his shoulders, pulling the dark material of his cassock to heave him inside his room. Fire grunted as he gracelessly flopped over the ledge and hit the floor, feet hanging over the edge of the window. He quickly got inside and watched Aether close the window from the floor, pushing himself up on his elbows.   
“See, I got here in the end!” He picked the chalky brick dust out of his nails before looking up at Aether and pulling his mask off. A wild mop of black hair and chiselled jaw was revealed. Fire made a show of shaking his hair out and Aether laughed at the display.  
“I see that you did.”

Aether moved to step around the Fire Ghoul but instead had his foot clamped in a tight grip. He didn’t cave to the insistent tugging at his foot but yelped when Fire dragged his bottoms down with two hands. He was still in his bed clothes, and flushed softly when his cock was revealed.  
“No underwear? Scandelous.” Fire smirked as he got up on his knees, hands moving to grip the other ghoul’s plush backside. A palm slapped against it softly and Aether softly grunted again, hips jolting forwards as he felt interest pool in his groin. It had been a long time since they’d had one another.   
“Its my room and my bed, Fire. I can wear what I want.” Aether looked at the Fire Ghoul with a smile before the ghoul kissed softly at the bottom of his belly and tugged his sleeping bottoms back up.  
“I know. Later maybe, sweetheart.” Fire sighed and flopped himself back on Aether’s bed as the other ghoul recollected himself and moved to sit next to him.

The phone on his bedside table was in Fire’s hands as he sat down and Aether frowned as he typed something and nonchalantly threw it back on the large ghoul’s table. It was suspicious but Aether didn’t question it. Instead, he laughed and let himself be pulled next to Fire, and into a soft and warm hug. He accepted a kiss from him and felt Fire lick at his lips before opening them and letting the long ghoulish tongue inside. The appendage tapped against his own, mapping and claiming as though they had been apart for longer then a few weeks.   
Aether pulled away with a soft inhale, “Anyone would think you’d not seen me in a year.”   
“Fucking feels like a century.” Fire purred and buried his nose into Aether’s shoulder, noticing the smell of the forced glamour over them both. He missed the beautiful gradient of grey-black skin and the crystal covered horns that Aether had in hell. They were probably even more beautiful now and he smiled into the soft human skin, “It feels like everything is hypersensitive…Does it to you?”

Caught off guard, Aether looked at the mop of dark hair against his shoulder, softly pulling his fingers through it as Fire closed his eyes, “I don’t know. It feels…charged? Like everything is powerful suddenly?” He shrugged, “I can’t tell, this world is different from our own.”   
Fire shrugged against him, “Oh well.” A knock at Aether’s door made his head perk up, clutching at Aether’s shoulders protectively before he relented and let Aether get up to get the door.   
It was still locked, so Aether spoke through the wood, “I’m sorry but the doors locked. We’re not allowed out of our rooms.”   
“I know that you great fucking moron. Its Dew. Your lizard brained fuck boy invited me over…and promised me a little something.” Aether knew the little fire ghoul was scowling on the other side of the door.

“Oi! Shit for brains!” Aether gave Fire a disapproving look and a sigh as he shouted from the bed, “You have to go through the window. Hope you don’t snap in the wind sweetheart!” Dew thumped on the door for good measure before walking away from the door. Once again, Aether moved to open the window and watched as Dewdrop uncertainly put his clawed feet out of the window. He looked at the stone where Fire had climbed and tutted before simply leaping from one window ledge to the other. Aether moved back quick, alarmed as Dewdrop landed deftly in front of him, much like a cat. Dew ducked into the window easily and landed on the floor with a soft thump, smirking under his mask as he pulled it off. Fire flinched at the sudden reveal but took in his sharp, elf like features with a raised eyebrow. Dew stuck his tongue out, a sharp barbel through it sticking out against his lips before he turned to Aether and hugged him around the waist, watching Fire’s nostrils flare.

Aether rolled his eyes and walked Dew over to the bed, swaying side to side, laying in the middle of the little bed, “No fighting. I don’t feel up to anything now anyway. So, let me sleep some more yeah? I’m still exhausted from the tour.” He closed his eyes and felt the fire ghouls either side of him jostle for positions, Ifrit clutching his head close while Dew laid his head slap bang in the middle of his pectorals. The large ghoul wiggled over the sheets and hummed softly, soaking in the heat from the furnace hot ghouls, soothing his aches as he drifted off softly, his hands resting comfortingly on each of the strange Fire Ghouls. Somehow, Fire had a plan for this, but he would put the two of them in their places after he caught up on the rest of his sleep. The warmth was too tempting and lured him gently into a soft state of sleep.

A deep primal sensation awoke him in the middle of the night. Red light cast across his room and danced over his eyes, dazzling his vision for a moment as he took a few deep breaths. Something had shifted. The energy was pure and strong, tempting him to wake up a little more. Primality. That was what surged in his blood. The fire ghouls next to him groaned as they were stirred, but Aether was already shrugging them off, partially shifted hands and a sudden thwacking tail appearing. He reached for the door and hissed when it shook and didn’t open. Fire was still laid on the bed groaning, scratching at his thighs before he reached for Dew and opened a mouth full of needle-like fangs. Aether’s urge to stop the two of them, as Dewdrop snatched a bite into Fire’s shoulder, was dampened, and he instead reached the window, butting the glass open and looking at the ground. His stomach twisted in agony and he stood on the ledge before jumping, hearing the two ghouls behind him hiss and spit as he fell. Aether sniffed and began to move through the bushes, following the little path before he caught the scent of iron. Iron and something that was human. He looked back up at the window, eyes following the two fire ghoul’s figures before he took off.

The howls behind him told him they were following. He had no idea what he was actually running towards. The hunger gurgled again, and he rounded a turn in the path before seeing his quarry. A man with a bleeding hand. He was fleeing from something else. No. This was his. His arms rippled and seized again, part shifted, black hide and claws revealed but nothing more. In frustration, the quintessence ghoul twisted his hands in the air, the space around him tearing open as he leaped through a portal. The man fell beneath him as he tore through the other side, arms flailing as he yelped and was crushed into the dirt. Aether sniffed and leaned, a deep, throaty clicking sounding as he leaned over and grabbed the man’s hand. It was fresh. A rough jolt had the man scream in pain, arm twisted back and popped straight from its socket. Aether dipped his tongue into the wound, tasting the iron and sweat before he pulled the hand back to his mouth, teeth slowly clamping tight into the flesh beneath his thumb. Hot blood spurted into his mouth with the fat and muscle.

The father beneath him screeched and thumped the ground with his palm, slapping viciously and kicking out fruitlessly.  
“Unholy one! Please no! I did not do it!” His brown eyes were wide with fear as he looked at the bite mark in his hand.   
“Do what?” He gurgled through another screeching mouthful of the man’s arm, the veins tearing open to spurt a slow leakage of blood over the man’s own long cassock.  
“I didn’t touch her! SHE SAID YES! IT WASN’T RAPE!” Aether felt the lie ripple in his words and instead opened his bloodied mouth again, sharp, unholy teeth slick with red and spit. Purple glowed in his eyes as his claws curled through the fabric. Great red lines tore down his back as Aether gouged his claws deep.   
“The unholy one doesn’t favour you tonight.” A tickle along his neck told him there was another behind him.

Fire licked at the blood on his neck, purring, lawa red eyes almost truly aflame as he moved around Aether and licked at the cut on the man’s face, fangs glinting before he took joy in pealing at the tendons of his arm. Dewdrop joined them soon after, panting rapidly. The two of them were covered in bites and scrapes from one another. Aether stroked the sights softly, the two fire ghoul’s shuddering as the element of everything and nothing healed the skin and tissue. Dewdrop licked over Aether’s lips before dragging the man’s face back by his curly hair. Eyes the colour of blood stared for a moment before he clamped his teeth into the man’s shoulder. He wailed as much as he could with his neck held at such a high-tension angle. Dewdrop pulled back to watch him cry.  
“He deserves to suffer. I feel it.” Aether whispered in their hissing language, pressing another mouthful of back muscle into his mouth.   
“I’d rather eat undisturbed.” Fire moaned softly as he leaned to lick gristle from Aether’s sideburns and cheeks.   
Dewdrop’s teeth flashed and tore the man’s throat out, “He will die quickly, knowing his true torture is in hell.” He muttered after he spat the ligaments and trachea out.

The man bled out into the grass and Aether got off his back to properly tear the clothes from him, exposing the tanned flesh underneath. Dewdrop moved to his side and grabbed his cheeks, kissing him soundly, the flesh in his mouth shared between the two of them. Aether moaned softly and pulled away to chew the mouthful. Fire shouldered closer with his own gift, a soft trickle of blood pouring from his bottom lip before he too kissed the large ghoul and shared the blood between the two of them. It was a primal display of care, softly handing one another pieces of meat from the body. The kisses soon turned into nips and wandering hands, the blood churning their brains, shifting the need from food to carnal delight. The blood moon poured red light over the bloodied scene. Fire wiped long streaks of blood down Aether’s torso as he kissed him, groping at Aether’s soft stomach as he pushed him back towards Dewdrop. Dewdrop breathed a hot, wet breath against his neck before nipping harshly at the soft skin of his shoulder and licking the trails of blood away with a rough tongue. Fire’s palm pressed against him before sliding the sleeping bottoms down, hands rubbing and groping Aether’s dick.

Dewdrop growled at the movement, his own, cleaner hands, rubbing along Aether’s large chest and down his strong, soft stomach, blood slicking and clinging to the hair there. Fire ignored Dewdrop and kissed Aether again, opening his eyes as he pulled away, tongues out and slick with blood and spit. Aether hummed a purr and kissed Dewdrop as well, tasting the same irony taste as Fire had. He alternated between the two of them, hot blood slick kisses that only drove his desires more. Just as Fire laid him in the grass, a great clap sounded.

“CEASE!”

It was a powerful word, and from their leader. Papa Emeritus the Third stood some distance away, his great sleeves raised before he raised a hand and pointed a clawed, gloved finger at them. The chosen one’s white eye flared with power as he commanded them. The Ghouls collectively gasped as they were pinned to the floor, as though great heavy weights were laid over their chests. Papa clapped again before walking over to look at their work.  
“Well done, my ghouls,” He strolled around the body before running his hands over their hairs, “We will suffer suffieciently with our unholy father.” A smirk twisted his corpse paint and Aether wheezed as the magic was released from him, and him alone.

“And you, my Omega, you have done wonderfully.” Papa pressed a soft kiss to his blood stained forehead, and turned on his heels, clapping again and releasing the compression spell, “Now do as you will. Fuck, eat and sleep. I will need you tomorrow evening, and you, Omega.”  
Aether’s cheeks flared at the name, “Papa I am not him. MY name is Aether…” He spoke harshly and viciously towards the Anti-Pope, regretting his words when the man stiffened and looked back at him with a glowing white eye.  
“So it would appear…” He tucked his hands together inside his sleeves, “You are in every way worse than him. How I confused you both is beyond me.”

A rage like never before burned in Aether’s blood. He stood, naked and covered in blood, Fire whispering for him to calm down from where he was wheezing against the floor.  
“I am everything and nothing compared to him! You seem to think so at least! I am not him, Papa! He is gone! I am the Aether ghoul now, yet all you have done since I got here is undermine me and what I do. My guitar playing is not like him, my actions and demeanour wrong as well! I’m sorry he was taken from you for being your fucking ghoul plaything!” He screeched across the grass before moving towards the man, fists clenched and his dark tail snapping.  
“Conmoro.”  
Aether was frozen, stock still and unable to move from his place stood in the grass. Papa stormed over in a flood of purple fabric before he cracked the Ghoul around the face. The open palmed slap rang his ears, blood flaring to the surface of his cheek.  
“Don’t you dare, ever, mention or compare yourself to him again, Ghoul. You are worthless here, all of you. Don’t think for one moment you can ever be what your predecessors were.”

In another flurry of fabric, the man strode for the church, clicking his fingers to unfreeze them all as he went. Aether felt a tear drip over his cheek and fell to his knees as Fire quickly scooped him up in a hug. Dewdrop stood above the two of them, icy eyes watching the Pope enter the church again with a great BANG.


	7. New Destinies

Ghouls were a sacred honour to possess. It wasn’t a right of a leader to have their Ghouls, it was a gift from the unholy one himself to be blessed with the ability to summon them. They weren’t tools either, but creatures closer to the old one than any of the bloodline could hope to be. The leaders were chosen and favoured, but they were not of demon blood or lineage. The demon blood in the line was too diluted to do much beyond give them the ability to perform magic and have their strange, characteristic eyes. Ghouls weren’t a right they were a privilege. Lucifer had wondered whether giving them the help was worth it, watching as their music failed to reap him any awards for so long. The Third son had managed to secure him a Grammy, an honour finally for his pride and efforts with the project. It seemed though, that this privilege was a little too much for them.

Aether took a deep breath as he raised his fist to Nihil’s door. For a week and a half, he had been refused entry to the Grand Papa’s hallways. This was the furthest he had ever gotten. The elderly man had been bed ridden for a week, his ill health deteriorating with another bought of a lung infection. They refused to let him in with even the promise of healing the old man as well. It was frustrating, but he hoped Nihil was well enough again to speak to him and consider what he had to say. It had been just over two weeks since the blood mood, and he could still taste iron on the back of his teeth from the event. After being crushed and forced to his knees in front of the third he’d sat in a small stupor as Dewdrop and Fire teased his mouth open with food, trying to encourage him back into eating. They’d looked after him, easing his worries a little for a time after, licking the cut over his cheek from where the Third son’s metal claws had dragged over his hide with the slap. It made him angry to think about the vicious treatment. He felt bad for being here, but he needed to have words with Nihil.

“Come in Aether Ghoul.” The raspy voice of Nihil sounded from deep within his chambers, the sound of an oxygen system pumping hit his ears as he opened the door. The elder Papa was sat in his office chair, an oxygen tank sat at the side of him, the mask placed over his mask as he breathed slowly, in and out, in as deep breaths as the man could manage. The clouded eyes only told Aether the man had not aged well. Partially blind now and struggling to breath. His health was failing him, and Aether could sense the clogging infection and onset of early cancers. He was alive by the grace of his master alone, yet he must have had a purpose for him to be alive.  
“Grand Papa.” Aether bowed his head and back in a sign of respect before standing next to Nihil’s desk. Ghouls were not permitted to sit in the seat next to his desk, yet still, the old man waved a wrinkled hand over to the comfortable chair.   
“Please sit. I know you have a lot to tell me. I may be old, and a little blind, but I can still feel when something is weighing heavily on someone.” He gestured to the seat again and smiled when he heard Aether perch himself on the edge of the chair.

“I’m sorry to intrude Papa, but its just about something that happened…” Aether looked the man in the eyes, wondering if he could make out the figure in the mask, or if he was seeing right through him.  
“My son hit you, did he not?” Nihil muttered and rubbed at the backs of his hands, massaging the knuckles softly before he looked back at the Ghoul and frowned, “I was told. Not by him, but by one of my little birds. They keep an eye on goings on in the church for me. My sons think me a fool and something that should be dead, Aether Ghoul.” Nihil leaned over his desk with a smile, “But they are the fools for thinking I still don’t run and control every aspect of this church. I am old, but not stupid.”   
“Yes…Yes he did hit me. I spoke out about his and Omega’s relationship and…” Aether recoiled at the icy look he received.  
“Omega was taken for a reason. You don’t need to know anything about it all. It is none of your concern, Aether, understand?” He only continued when he received a nod, “I will deal with my son over this. Ghouls are not toys, you are creatures just like us, and his disrespect of the honour he has been given will be…Well, he will be reminded of it in any case.”

Aether nodded slowly with the words, dark eyes, ringed with a thick layer of black paint, looked at the man before he got up from the chair and walked around the desk.  
“Papa. Are you sure you are alright? There is nothing you want me to do?” The quintessence ghoul tilted his head softly and watched a soft smiled curl Nihil’s lips upwards, the skin old and wrinkly.  
“Ah, to be young again, but no, dear ghoul.” He carefully patted Aether’s jewellery covered hands and smiled, “I am alive because the unholy one wills it. I won’t die until he decides it seems. I have a purpose, and I will live to fulfil it yet my boy.” He patted Aether’s cheek softly, “No go on. I will sort this issue. My son is a fool, but I do think your words towards him have already done more than you believe.” Aether walked out of the door with those words twisting his gut tight.

Nihil knew his third son well enough to know that his emotions often got the better of him. The Grand Papa watched his son enter the room from his desk, placing his coffee on its saucer to stop the cup staining the expensive wood of the desk.   
“Father.” His youngest son bowed before taking a seat across from his father, “Why have you called me here at this hour?” He yawned softly behind his hand, blinking sleepily. Nihil ignored him but instead, stood up and moved slowly around his desk. The Third stood up to meet him. A great crack sounded through the room and the youngest Emeritus’ face snapped to the side. His cheek burned.

His mouth opened and his eyes watered as he slowly looked back to his father.  
“Father…what?”   
“You listen to me now and you listen to me well, son.” He pointed at a tapestry over his wall, “Those creatures in the fabric. You have known since you were three and crawling around my office that those are Ghouls. They are the closest creatures we have to the unholy one are they not? And so you think that you have the right to abuse the gifts that have been given to you by the unholy lord himself? You dared to lay a hand on one of them?!” Nihil’s old hand shook with anger as he moved to sit back behind his desk, “They are not your playthings and they are not something you can throw away simply because you haven’t gotten your own way!” His fist slammed on top of his desk. His youngest son’s lips quivered. His cheek was an angry red as he looked back at the Grand Papa.  
“I understand Papa…” He pulled his hair back and tried to appear as though the hit had not affected him. “I…I am sorry.” The apology was quiet.  
Nihil huffed and carefully took his sons hand, “See it does not happen again, you are no fool, but you need to control yourself…Omega was taken for a reason. Now go.” The door slammed viciously hard behind his youngest son.

 

Aether awoke with a start, a cold sweat clinging to his back and forehead. He breathed heavily as the effects of the dream wore off. The visions were laced with blood and death. There was the church, but the altar was covered in bodies and blood, and a man in red stood in the middle, the cassock stained a darker colour with the deep colour of blood. Aether felt the person next to him move. Fire stirred under the covers, his hand groping against Aether’s stomach before he opened his eyes groggily, wondering why his hand was suddenly so far away from him. He peered up at Aether and was instantly sat up in the bed, a hot hand stroking over Aether’s shoulders.  
“Baby, are you okay?” He spoke, groggy still from being woken up so suddenly. Concern flashed through his bright eyes, and he reached to put the light on by the bedside, “Durr, baby, its okay.” The quintessence ghoul had been waking up every night for a week with horrific nightmares. Aether flinched as his face was turned towards Fire’s. He looked at the flames in his eyes and hoped they would never go out.

Aether swallowed thickly, opening his mouth and taking a deep, shuddering breath, before he let Fire stroke over his face, his fingers caught in the sideburns at the side of his face. The soft touches slowly calmed him down enough to speak.  
“It was the same. You were dead. Papa was dead. There was a Cardinal draped in red and blood.” He whispered, rubbing at his eyes, pressing his thumbs against them before Fire took his hands away from his face and smiled gently.   
“Its alright. They’re just dreams, Aeth.” His hands moved over Aether’s face, wiping the sweat away before Aether’s hands clasped the fire ghoul’s.  
“But they’re not, not now. They have to be premonitions!” Aether huffed and pushed the covers away from his legs, still too warm and worked up from the nightmare, “It was a vision, but I…I don’t think…” He scrubbed at his facial hair, “I don’t get why I’m being shown it…I don’t…I hope it’s not real, but I haven’t been shown anything in terms of stopping it, Tan…I just…” He hung his head, tears welling up and burning his eyes, “What if you’re going to die?”

Fire scrambled down the bed and sat on his knees on the end, human skin stretching over muscles Aether had mapped well.   
“I won’t. Its just a dream. You’ve been thinking about it everyday for a week, so there’s no wonder it keeps coming back yeah?” He snuck his hand into Aether’s and pulled him back towards the bed. “Come on. You need some more sleep. We have rehearsals and to help out with those spells, yeah?” He coaxed Aether back around the bed frame and sat him down before kissing the side of his neck, wrapping his large arms around Aether’s broad shoulders. “You can’t stay awake avoiding it, come on.” Aether reluctantly followed the Fire Ghoul back under the sheets and buried his head against Fire’s shoulder as he was tucked back into bed. Aether breathed gently, his fingers curling into Fire’s skin as he reminded himself that the Fire Ghoul was still was still with him.

As he closed his eyes, he saw the vision again. Fire was impaled on two separate spears, the ends silver tipped, the wooden shafts stuck in the Ghoul’s body and a knife plunged deep into his heart to keep him from healing. His hand raised to Aether, who was stood in the doorway, before he was dragged from the spear shafts and hauled over the stone, leaving a long trail of smeared blood before they muttered. Fire was thrown through the pulsating portal in the middle of the room, his hand still reaching for Aether who was stood in the doorway. The black portal closed with a hum and a vicious snap of magic. He looked over at the altar and saw the corpse of his brethren laid over it. Over three basins laid the three sons of the Emeritus line, their face paint smudged with dried blood, unholy mismatched eyes open and their gazes locked on him. The red man in the cassock span around the three of them, mocking as he stuck his finger in each bowl of blood and drew a reverse cross over the centre of the altar. The same eyes of the bloodline glowed in the dark.  
“Ave Satanas.” Aether felt his knees buckle as he bowed before him, eyes wide as he struggled not to vomit over the puddles of Fire’s blood.

The nightmares eased after some time but were replaced with the curling sense of dread and an intense tugging on his conscious in a certain direction. It was a muddled message, just twisting his gut with uncertainty as he looked out of the windows. Ominous. It felt ominous in the bottom of his stomach, twisting a knot in his gut painfully.  Aether looked at the woods at the edges of the gardens. They weren’t usually allowed past the treeline, the church afraid they would have to go into the forest and find the ghouls themselves.   
“Baby? You okay?” Fire put his hand on Aether’s shoulder, scaring the ghoul out of his revere, staring at the shadows between the trees.  
“I’m okay…but are the woods giving you weird vibes? Like…There’s something telling me to go there, and I don’t know why.” Aether felt Fire move around him and look at the woods.  
“Baby, are you sure that those nightmares aren’t just shaking you up a little bit?” Fire stroked his face.  
Aether smiled softly, leaning into the hands on his cheeks, “Yeah, maybe. Sorry, love.”

 

“I love you, Aeth.” Fire moaned into his ear. Aether huffed against the fire ghoul’s neck as his hips canted forwards, moving in a rough rhythm as Fire grasped at his shoulders and moaned, “Fuck you feel so good baby, so hot inside me. Fuck, go harder baby.”   
“Are you sure?” Aether muttered against Fire’s lips before he kissed him soundly, his tongue tracing the inside of Fire’s mouth and teeth, sharp against his tongue as it moved over them.  
Fire pulled away from the kiss to nip at Aether’s throat, his hips moving upwards insistently as Aether slowed to listen to him, “Fuck yes. Harder.” He growled and tugged Aether into another hot kiss, tail tugging the quintessence ghoul’s thigh hard. Aether grunted before picking up his pace, the slick slide inside Fire’s tight anus making him moan and huff.  
“Fuck, Tan, I’m so close.” Aether moaned as his hips stuttered, his hands squeezing Fire’s backside as he pounded him roughly.  
“Oh fuck, Durr, please just…fuck come inside me please.” He growled and purred into Aether’s ear before Aether’ stroked his cock, and he came over his own stomach. Aether sheathed himself deep and moaned as he came inside the fire ghoul.  

The two fell asleep tangled around one another, Aether whispering soft words of love into Fire’s ear as they drifted off. Aether woke up in the middle of the night, coated in sweat again as he opened his eyes to see the soft sleeping face of Fire next to him.   
“Durrikan.” He looked down at Fire. His lips weren’t moving. His name was whispered again and again, softly, like a little mantra from a shadow. He sat up slowly, breathing a little faster as he glanced around at the shadows. Nothing. There wasn’t anyone in their room either. He glanced over at the window. He’s forgotten to close the curtains and the moonlight illuminated the room. The trees were covered in shadows. Aether got out of the bed carefully, being sure not to wake up Fire as he went to the window. He opened the window and listened again.   
“Durrikan…come.” The voice whispered. It was the woods. He closed the windows again and looked at his wardrobe, slowly opening it to collect some clothes.

As fast as he could, Aether dressed and grabbed his mask and balaclava before escaping into the hall, tugging his shoes on as he jumped and made his way to the main doors. He ignored the shouts of a patrolling brother as he dragged the main doors open and escaped out of them, running across the grass, listening to the calls behind him for a moment before the woods called again.  
“Durrikan, come…yes the caves.” He felt the call and jumped a rock before moving into the trees, the voice getting louder and louder as he pushed through the low hanging branches. The caves? He had no idea where the caves were. “This way.” The voice moved to his right, calling him, and Aether followed it, turning around a tree and moving over a log as he ran through the trees. He wanted answers.  
“You will get your answers.” The voice moved left and he followed through the trees, “I can tell you everything, child.”

He heaved as he came to a halt in front of a strange mining complex of caves. The old crates outside were full of shale and Aether frowned before the voice whispered again, “Come child, inside, come.” Aether took a deep breath as he plunged himself into the darkness of the cave. The walls were cold but dry as he moved along them into the deep part of the cave. It was pitch black and Aether could only hear himself as he moved along the wall. His eyes looked up as a reflection of light flicked across his sight. The end of the tunnel lead to a centre room. In the middle sat a great stone. Aether walked into the room, looking around at the great stone columns littered around the room. They were inscribed with runes he had never seen. They weren’t Ghoulish, nor Latin. They were scrawled in a language he had never seen before. Aether walked to the column and pressed his fingers into the carvings before he looked at the stone table in the middle. It wasn’t a stone. He looked at the top in awe. It was a great polished mirror surface, mismatched and jagged but the top perfectly smooth and reflective. He rubbed a hand over it and looked at his own masked face.

The room went black. Aether span to look at the tunnel he had come through. It wasn’t there anymore, “What the fuck?” He muttered and squinted through the darkness. A sudden beam of light blurred through the dark and shone off the mirror before the room lightened again, more reflective stones around the ages acting as lighting for the entirety of the large cave room. Aether gasped softly and leaned over the table, looking at his own wide brown eyes.   
“Aether. That is what they call you here isn’t it.” A voice made up of many tones rang out behind him. Aether squinted in the mirror before he saw two great wings open behind him, blazing orange eyes rolling in them as they stretched and cracked.  
“Lucifer?”   
The creature cackled and wheezed, the noise made up from the voices of many, “I am not your Unholy Creator…But maybe I am part of you the same.” Teeth clicked behind his neck before the wings shuddered and rotated, moving around behind him. He squinted at them, observing the eyes. Some were missing, the holes in the feathers red and sore.

The wings fluttered as the creature behind him wheezed and laughed again, “I’m not your father, child.” A skeletal hand curled over his shoulder, and a cold breath scraped over his neck, “I am Death, and it is a name you will hopefully never have to say hmm?” The hand peeled away as the figure walked in the shadows before coming near the mirror. Covered in a coat of curling shadows, Death took a step into the light. Their face was hidden behind a veil but there were no eyes except the ones over the tattered black wings on their back.   
“Death?” Aether swallowed and opened his mouth.  
“No I haven’t come for you, not yet. I need to speak with you.” A smile curled in a mouth on one of the wings.  
“This is about my visions?” Aether watched Death press a cloak covered hand to the mirrored surface of the rock.  
“In part, yes. You know that they are visions, but there is nothing you can do to stop the murder of your leaders, child.” A bony finger stroked his masked cheek, “You might be able to do something…But that will be down to your decisions.”

A claw dragged over the rippling mirror and Death raised it’s head to look at him, the shadowy fabric evaporating and reforming before the finger levelled at Aether’s face. Bones cracked as Death tilted their face to the side, “Do you know the true origin of your people, quintessence ghoul?” Death stood taller, tucking their hands into their sleeves.  
“My father told me that we were created from the fallen ones that followed him from Heaven?” Aether watched Death’s wings stretch with its multi-tonal cackle.   
“Oh yes. Lucifer told you correct. You are the product of twisting fallen angels. But your vision, Aether, that is not a gift from your unholy father.” Death cackled and took his hand, watched the glamour peel away, a great eye opening in the ghoul’s palm, “The sight. That is mine.” Death curled bony fingers around the eye, watching it blink with stars, “You can see the future and memories. That is because your father once took some of my sight. A deal. He peeled the eyes from my wings and bestowed them on his twisted creations so that they could see into the realm beyond and I was given free rein to usher all souls. He relinquished that in exchange.” Teeth clacked as Death took a step away, letting Aether having his hand back.

“So…we are part of Death and Hell?” Aether rubbed his hand, looking at the palm that had shifted back into a glamour of human skin. “I didn’t know that…”  
“Of course you wouldn’t” Death snapped, “Your lord still thinks he is above me, but he fails to realise that I have some insight into his dealings simply through your kind.” White teeth appeared in the hood of Death’s robe and Aether swallowed, “You are my creations just as much as his, dear Durrikan.” Death’s hand cupped his face over the mirror, their towering figure dipping forwards before he let the ghoul go and the burning orange eyes began to move in the feathers.   
“Is that it? You brought me here to drag about how great you are, Death?” Aether clutched his hands tight in front of himself. His fingers cracked under the pressure of his own anger, “Some great entity you are! You’ve brought me here to gloat and tell me my loved ones will die!”

“No.” Death’s wings rattled, and tattered grey feathers tumbled to the floor, “You can avoid this future perhaps, but you will have a choice.” They held up two bone fingers, “Tannim or Langa.” Two faces floated in the mirror under the hands. He didn’t like the odds.   
“Is there no way to save them both?” Aether’s eyes were wide as he looked at Death.  
Death only shook their head, “No, child, there isn’t.” The last word rang out and Aether watched the mirror come towards his face. He passed out into darkness, seeing the burning orange eyes of Death’s wings as he was lifted from the rock. He woke up in the darkness of his own room again, laid next to the burning heat of Tannim.   
“Soon you will heed my warnings, Durrikan, soon.” A molten metal eye bled back into the wall and Aether breathed softly against his pillow before he hugged Fire close to him.

 

Blood. There was blood everywhere. Aether shoved a brother to the side and felt his own hands become claws as he ran, Dewdrop following close behind. They had been taken by surprise in the practice room, spears of silver thrown, piercing the drumkit behind them before Dewdrop had hissed and leaped, dragging one down in a flurry of red and teeth. Aether had simply thrown the other against the wall with a shoulder charge, his claws dragging over the arteries in his neck for a quick death. They’d run when the screaming started, looking for the others on their way. They were vulnerable separated, and Aether grabbed Dewdrop’s hand as they ran for the main chapel, pushing through siblings as they screeched at the blood and guts that they were covered in. The corridor leading to the main hall was empty.   
“Aeth…I don’t like this…Its too quiet.” Dewdrop moved away to look at the end of the hall, “There should be people here. Someone.” Icy blue eyes looked at him and Aether swallowed as he heard screams from a hall nearby.

“Check the ends of the corridor. I’ll look in here and see if there’s anyone.” Dewdrop seemed hesitant to let him go, but Aether was already easing the door open to go into the room before the chapel. He closed it behind him, trusting Dewdrop to keep guard as he investigated. Aether held his breath and opened the main door a crack. His heart froze in his chest as a spear lanced through Fire’s chest. Blood sprayed over the brother in the robe as the half-shifted ghoul pulled himself along the wooden handle and tore at his face, grappling him closer to tear at his throat with great fangs. Another silver ended spear embedded itself in Fire’s side and snapped free under clumsy hands. He howled, red eyes blazing as the second brother met his teeth and claws. His belly spilled guts on the floor, but Fire was beginning to slow. A third spear was shoved through his stomach and out the other side and Fire screeched, shaking hands holding the spear before another hit home. Blood sprayed from his lips as he gurgled and howled, hoisted up on the shafts and left embedded against the wood of a pew.

Aether felt tears burn his eyes as Fire’s body went still, his head tilted back, shuddering breaths wracking his form as he searched for a way out.  
“You won’t be anything you fucking…Rat!” He wheezed around a mouthful of blood before he spat it at a man Aether couldn’t see by the altar. A brother drew a great silver dagger and smirked before embedding it in Fire’s chest, the blade twisted into his heart. The fire ghoul screeched and writhed on top of the spears in agony, black tears and blood dripping over his face. Burning red eyes looked at the chapel doors. Fire’s eyes widened as he saw the purple eyes of his lover in the doorway, a hand reaching out to him before the spears were torn from his body and his bleeding form was wrestled and covered in silver laced chains.  
“Disobedience will not be tolerated in this new church.”

Aether couldn’t see the man, but he wept as he watched them press a silver cross inside Fire’s lifeless mouth. He didn’t react or spit it out. A click of magic sounded, and a whirling portal opened with a snap, the black rippling as the brother’s dragged Fire before the portal.  
“Back to Hell with that creature. It is dead, it is of no use.” He saw another body be thrown first. Air. He was covered in blood, his fingers battered and torn open. He’d fought them first before Fire had gotten there. Fire was hauled before the portal next, lifeless, blood pouring from the wounds. They threw him through with a rattle of chains and Aether whimpered before escaping from the doorway and back into the hall. Dewdrop hissed and tore a sister’s neck open on his return.  
“Aeth.” His eyes went wide, mask covered in blood as he reached for the quintessence ghoul, “What happened?”  
Aether wept but answered, “They killed Fire…and Air…” He wiped the cheeks of his mask and grabbed Dewdrop by the hand.

“They…They did what?” Dewdrop’s voice was small as Aether dragged him away. A slam sounded behind them and Aether dragged him into a run.  
“I’ll…Just run Dew, just run!” He dragged him as quick as he could behind him, “We have to get away. We have to!” Dewdrop let go of his hand and ran alongside him with a frown.  
“Okay…Okay lets go…” They turned the corner and ran down the basement steps, feeling shudders run through them as they slammed the door and descended the steps, not needing a torch to see their way in the darkness. They found somewhere deep, looking at the similar rooms, feeling the memories of their summonings haunt them as they huddled together and cried for their fallen brothers.

It was some time before anyone dared to open the basement. Siblings had been torn from their duties by feral creatures. The Cardinal had been sent to sort it. Ghouls were creatures of intellect. He merely had to use his tools and wiles to appeal to that intellect. The one brother that had come out alive had cried as he told the man about the shifted creatures of hell in their basement. They were threatened and unbalanced. Masterless and unsealed. Free to do as they pleased. He took the steps down into the darkness, his grucifix and rosemary oils clutched close. He needed nothing else. They would be the death of him or he would come out a man victorious. Copia passed through the first room before he heard anything. A whistling low click and the movement of scales over stone. The second room and hall stank of carcasses. He tripped over a bone, the white of it flashing into his circle of light from his torch.

Copia jumped as he looked in front of him again. A looming beast stood over him, great clawed toes curled into the stone before it leaned down onto all fours to sniff at him, multiple pairs of eyes rolling in its white exposed skull to look at him. Its horns curled backwards gracefully over his head, and Copia was amazed as it opened its mouth, fangs glistening with saliva before the creature sniffed at him, claws gripping either side of him.  
“You will listen to me Ghouls. You will be chased from this basement and tortured with silver, or you can listen to me and live.” He reached a hand out towards the creatures snout, “Hush now. Hush. You are riddled with agony and hurt.” He spied a wound on this one’s side. Purple eyes all turned to watch him. Before he could touch it, the second ghoul hissed behind him and came uncomfortably close, fire curling from its fangs. Black horns lowered threateningly as he caressed the bony face of its friend.

“Both of you. I can save you both. You don’t have to be outcast and returned home.” He gazed at the Aether Ghoul before him, white eye flaring, “You can have your place here, Aether, just as you wanted. And you too, Fire Ghoul.” He reached his second hand out to the scaly hide of the other ghoul and placed his leather gloved hands upon each of them, “Together. We can usher a new age. One without barriers, one without hate, and with a lifestyle for you by the likes you have never seen.” They bowed their heads softly and got to their knees.  
“Be sealed and serve, for Satan and your new Master. Nema.” He muttered before smiling, “Ave Satanas my creatures.” He caressed them again as they began to shrink, bones cracking as they moved back into their human shapes.

Aether looked up at the man through dark eyes before he looked at Dewdrop.  
“A new age?” He whispered.  
“A new age, my Ghoul. I will make it so.” Copia tilted his head upwards, “And you will bathe in the blood of those that have ever wronged you…Either of you.” Aether shuddered under the touch and moved to look at the floor, feeling Copia run his hands through his hair. For some reason, that proposition didn’t sound terrible.  
He smiled and licked at Copia’s blood covered glove, “We have a deal.”   
The white eye of the Cardinal flashed in the darkness, “Excellent, my Ghoul… Excellent.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm just trying a bit of exploration and thought it would be fun to take everyone along with me.


End file.
